Blackpool salon owner starts 'pay it forward' scheme for free beauty treatments after spending two years living homeless on the streets

Kim Scott, 34, slept in doorways and hostels before she moved to Blackpool in 2016. But now the qualified beauty therapist and professional photographer wants to make beauty treatments accessible for everyone - including the homeless.

“When we say everybody deserves a treat, we mean everybody. It makes a difference, and might make them feel a bit better about themselves.”

So WowBrowsII salon, on Church Street, have started a ‘pay it forward’ scheme to invite customers or passers-by to donate some spare change to go towards a free treatment for a homeless person.

“It could be having their nails done, or eyebrows waxed to neaten up for a job interview or housing appointment.”

‘It's surprising how many women, let alone men, feel intimidated to get a manicure’

Kim runs the salon with her business partner, Levi Barrington. They aim to create an atmosphere that’s welcoming for anyone that would normally feel awkward about being pampered.

They offer a range of aesthetic treatments including eyebrow waxing, manicures, tooth gems and piercings.

“It's surprising how many women, let alone men, feel intimidated to get a manicure, but we have a really laid back attitude here.”

They avoid having too many rules unless they are necessary.

“The most important thing is to make people feel comfortable. No-one is ever made to feel out of place.”

‘He saw me at my very lowest and he remembered me.’

Kim moved to Blackpool in 2016 with no qualifications or job prospects, but determined for a fresh start. And now she’s turned her life around but doesn’t forget where she has come from.

“I look back and I don’t believe it. I don’t believe that was ever me. I bumped into a man who walked past and I recognised him from when he used to serve me in a soup kitchen, in Coventry. He saw me at my very lowest and he remembered me.”

The mum of three became homeless when she was 17, after being ‘kicked out’ by her dad.

Although she was able to spend three nights a month in a hostel, most of the next two years Kim was surviving on the streets in her home town of Coventry.

‘I wonder how on earth I survived walking the streets at night.’

She said: “A lot of that time is a blur, but it was horrible because I was constantly thinking about where I’d be sleeping next. Mostly it was in doorways, tents, under bridges. I never felt vulnerable at the time but looking back now I wonder how on earth I survived walking the streets at night.”

Kim didn’t see herself as a vulnerable young woman, and felt like she was looked out for by other rough sleepers. But she wasn’t sure where to turn for support.

“I felt safe because the people on the streets looked after each other. You’d meet your own little crowd who’d become family and I survived that way. But I didn’t really know what help I could get, or that I could get a flat or anything like that.”

A fresh start in Blackpool.

She was able to get a flat in 2007, when pregnant with her first child.

Then in 2016 she’d saved up the money for a holiday to Blackpool and she got an idea.

“I hated the place I was renting, and I thought instead of a holiday in Blackpool I could use that money for a deposit to move here.”

But although Kim was happier in her new home, in Grange Park, with no job prospects she had a lot of barriers to overcome.

“I had no skills and couldn’t get a job. I didn’t even have a CV. I was rejected for one job just because they thought I wouldn’t like it.”

Off to uni

Then in 2018 a friend shared a Facebook post about a pet photographer and it provided a seed of inspiration.

“I’d never picked up a camera before but when I saw that post I just knew it was something I’d love to do.”

So a friend helped her to buy a camera, and started photographing Christenings and other events, and managed to get onto a degree course at Blackpool & Fylde College - which she graduated from in 2021.

She became passionate about female empowerment - which led to her beauty therapy training alongside photography.

“It all links together, it’s about empowering women and making them feel good about themselves.”

She now offers festive family portrait packages in her studio above the WowBrowsII salon.

“Every day is a fight, as I want to keep improving myself. I don’t want to settle. People say there’s nothing in Blackpool but there’s a lot of options here to do something if you put your mind to it. You got to just fight past those barriers.”

Help for young people to navigate the system

Jane Hugo, CEO of Streetlife, said: “The pay it forward scheme is a great idea. We all know how we feel much better after a haircut or a manicure. It's a great confidence boost.”

Streetlife has a night shelter, on St Johns Walk, and offers support for young homeless people, including hot food, drop-in sessions and life skills training at The Base, on Buchanan Street.

“Young people accessing Streetlife have told us that they sometimes feel unable to attend appointments because they feel embarrassed about their appearance. A hot shower, being able to wash dry and iron our clothes can be something a lot of us take for granted.

Luckily young people can access these facilities at Streetlife and it helps with their self-esteem. Our workers help young people to navigate the system, which can be quite tricky, to access the help they need.”