Care home residents in North Wales are going to be pampered by beauty queen.
Miss Conwy and Denbighshire, Kerie Reveley, 22, from Prestatyn, will be running beauty sessions at Pendine Park care organisation, Wrexham.
Kerie, a beautician at Bora Bora salon in Prestatyn, will be giving treatments from mini facials and facial threading, to manicures and pedicures as part of Pendine Park’s enrichment programme.
She is being sponsored by Pendine Park to compete at the Miss Wales 2015 Grand Final at the Princess Royal Theatre, in Neath Port Talbot on Saturday, March 7.
The ex Ysgol Brynhyfryd school pupil, who is originally from the tiny village of Llanferres, near Ruthin, will be given a helping hand by a team of enthusiastic youngsters from the Princes Trust.
The young people have enrolled in the innovative ‘Truth about Youth – Who Cares?’ training programme, funded by The Co-operative Foundation, which is a partnership between The Princes Trust and Pendine Park.
Kerie, who has an NVQ in beauty therapy from Yale College (now Coleg Cambria) said: “Beauty treatments are very important to elderly people. It’s something therapeutic. When you do someone’s nails it’s very personal and you get to know them and create a bond.
“I do a lot of treatments for elderly people who come into the Bora Bora salon and it’s about much more than just the treatment itself.
“I think it’s nice to do something in the community and I’m really grateful for the chance to come here. It’s amazing. It’s different to other homes I’ve been to. It’s more personal. They’re like a family here.
“Mr Kreft, the owner of Pendine Park told me all about the work they’re doing here with the Princes Trust and I think it’s great that young people are being given such a fantastic opportunity.
Kerie is incredibly excited about the Miss Wales 2015 Grand Final.
She said: “I have mixed emotions about it. I’m nervous and excited at the same time. I’ve already got my gown for the charity ball but I still need to get one for the final. I think I’ll get a nice red one for the final to represent Wales. My ball gown is blue and has got lace on the side.
“It would be amazing to win because it opens up so many opportunities for you.”
Annice Thomas, 83, a resident at Hillbury care home at Pendine Park, said: “I like having a makeover and getting my nails done. It’s very friendly here at Pendine Park. We have lots of nice chats and cups of tea.”
Sabrina Rafferty, 18, from Gwersyllt is one of 14 youngsters on course Princes Trust at Pendine Park.
She said: “I’d been unemployed for about six months which was just boring. I feel honoured to have been chosen to come to Pendine Park because I’ve never been given an opportunity like this before.”
Fellow Princes Trust trainee Sophie Evans, 18, from Plas Madoc, added: “It isn’t anything like I expected here. There is always something for the residents to do at Pendine Park. It’s amazing to see how the residents react to music.”
The Prince’s Trust supports 3,500 young people in Wales each year through its programmes. Three in four young people supported by The Trust move into work, education or training.
Olivia Thomas, activities and wellbeing coordinator at Pendine Park said: “I am delighted to have Kerie work with our established Wellbeing and Activities team and I am sure her treatment input will complement and enhance the existing therapies that our residents already enjoy.
“Beauty therapy is already part of the enrichment programme here at Pendine Park. We’re creating toolkits in different areas, like art, music, gardening, and we’re also creating one in beauty therapy. So what Kerie is doing for us fits in perfectly with that.
“We’re creating the toolkits so that our care practitioners can give the residents as much choice as possible when it comes to activities.”
To vote for Kerie text Welsh 40 Kerie to 64343. Each text costs £1. Terms conditions apply. The public voting line is open now and will close on Friday 6 March 2015 at 3pm.
