“My business helps me be someone other than ‘Ella with CF’ for a little while"

Nicole, The Sussex Shala Wellness Retreat 

The main goal of my business The Sussex Shala is to support looking after physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, and providing a safe, inclusive space for the local community to reconnect, ground and embrace a holistic approach to modern life. I wanted to create a wild spa and the grant money will be going towards building a sauna.

My message to other people with CF thinking about starting their own business is don’t think too far ahead – if you have a passion, it will naturally grow into a project that will grow into a business and remember you can’t take anything for granted. There is unpredictability with CF, so don’t put pressure on your health to make sure it’s a success. If you’re authentic, it will happen, and people will want to support you.

Kirstin, Little Learning

I am a primary school teacher who unfortunately had to scale back on teaching due to the workload demands having a negative impact on my health. I set up 'Little Learning' officially in January 2024, have leased a permanent space to build a classroom and now enjoy much higher lung function as a result of achieving the balance I could never quite find in employment.  

As a teacher, I was working 10+ hour days, five days a week and grabbing a quick lunch in between the marking and planning. After a while this began to take its toll on my health and in March 2024 my lung function had reduced dramatically. After a bit of a reality check, I realised that this was not sustainable and that I needed a job with fewer demands on my time and energy.  

I love teaching and felt really sad about the prospect of having to stop in order to maintain my health. Working for myself means that I have the whole day to prioritise my health with exercise, food prep and rest before I start work at about 3pm after the children get home from school. It has really helped me to continue doing what I love in a more sustainable way for my health longer term.  

I am going to use the grant money to pay for a website for my tutoring - allowing my clients to view my service, book classes and pay online.  

Ella-May’s nail business

I’d seen the award advertised on social media and decided to apply! It felt amazing to win and I still can’t believe it to be honest. I've never been that good with writing application forms or anything like that, so it was a massive shock but I'm so proud of myself. 

I want to use the grant money to get a new chair because the one that I have at the moment is breaking my back! I want to make some adjustments to the room, make it more comfortable and just add those finishing touches. I also want to get more gel polishes and be able to offer people choices. 

What I love most about what is do is the people, getting to know them and making someone happy. It really helps me be someone other than ‘Ella with CF’ for a little while.

Helen, Boundless Studios

Helen runs Cardiff-based animation studio Boundless Studios with her partner. Together, they create beautiful, fantastical artwork – including the upcoming 4D immersive experience Peredur's Journey, a bilingual animation for children about Welsh folklore.

Kayleigh, Little Clay Clubhouse

My business, Little Clay Clubhouse, is all about inspiring creativity and play through hands-on, interactive craft kits. Each kit provides children with everything they need to create adorable, themed clay characters and scenes while having fun with colours, textures, and imaginative storytelling.

One of my biggest aspirations is to collaborate with charities to provide clay kits to children in hospitals, hospices, and those facing difficult circumstances. I know firsthand how much joy and escapism creative activities can bring during tough times, and I want Little Clay Clubhouse to be a source of comfort and fun for those who need it most.

If you’re thinking about applying for a Helen Barrett Bright Ideas Award, my advice is: absolutely go for it! Believe in yourself and the vision you have for your business. If you’re passionate about what you’re creating, that passion will shine through. 

Sam’s therapy business

Growing up, I had it in my mind that I was only going to live to be 30. That was the average life expectancy at the time, so CF obviously impacted any ideas of a future that I might have had. It’s certainly helped give me an appreciation for life though.

I was inspired to start doing emotion-centric therapy after spending a few years diving deep into the realm of all of my own suppressed emotions. I realised that a lot of our problems, both personally and societally, stem from our repressed emotions, and our lack of understanding towards this.    

The award will be mostly used on further training to expand my practice, learning more about therapeutic approaches, and also to help me promote and advertise. Without the award, it would be difficult for me to do any of this, and so this gives me a much better chance of establishing my practice as my fulltime income.