Body Shopping: The Woman who Traded Parts for a Job with a Little More Heart

Meet Fiona

Healthcare, holidays, and huge discounts, working as an International Category Market Optimiser (for Skincare) at The Body Shop certainly had its perks. But the free facemasks, moisturisers, oils, and body butters nourished little deeper than skin. After thirty years working in similar positions in purchasing, Fiona decided she’d like to work somewhere with a little more heart.

Her first step was becoming a part of the fundraising team at The Body Shop. Each member of the team put forward a charity that they thought The Body Shop should spend the year raising money for. Fiona picked My Sisters’ House.

Though this was no random choice. After experiencing a series of traumatic events, Fiona had been seeking some support. On an internet search she came across the My Sisters’ House website. Fiona even made it to the doors of the centre. ‘But,’ she sighs, ‘I couldn’t bring myself to walk in.’

My Sisters’ House was nominated by vote, so Fiona emailed CEO and Founder, Julie Budge, to let Julie know and later invite her to a presentation where she’d receive the raised money.

When the presentation day arrived after The Body Shop’s year of fundraising, Fiona handed Julie a cheque for thirteen and a half thousand pounds. ‘Julie’s speech had everyone in tears,’ Fiona reflects. She grows emotional thinking about it now, ‘It was just so inspirational. I cried the whole way home.’

Captured by Julie’s words, Fiona began following and keeping up to date with My Sisters’ House’s work via social media.

On a casual Facebook flick through, Fiona noticed a post from MSH inviting job applications for the role of Office Manager. Thanks to the one hundred and thirty-seven thousand pounds worth of lottery funding, My Sisters’ House could now offer this new, paid position. Though the leap from a big corporate company to a small charity is huge, Fiona admits, ‘I just couldn’t put the job out of my mind.’

Deciding to jump, Fiona sent in her CV. In amongst the eighty to ninety applicants Fiona knew she might be recognised. ‘Though I’d met Julie before, I wanted to get the job on my own merit,’ Fiona explains.

And she did. Fiona made it to the interview stage alongside five others. During her conversation with Julie she found herself crying over the memories of her past trauma. Fiona acknowledges, ‘I think Julie looked at me and saw beyond my skillset. She saw my empathy.’

Flash forward to now and Fiona has been at My Sisters’ House for six weeks. ‘I was a little shell-shocked my first week here,’ Fiona admits. ‘I’d been hearing stuff I’d only heard before on TV, and it was really quite scary.’

But after several weeks adjusting, Fiona now feels more settled. She smiles, ‘It’s all very exciting the things we’ve got planned here.’

In her role as Office Manager Fiona works behind the scenes supporting the counsellors and the work that they do. Her responsibilities cover everything from ensuring correct policies to staff welfare. ‘I work to ensure that the girls on the front line are safe,’ Fiona summarises.

Finishing up our conversation, I ask Fiona again about that time she was alone, struggling, and unable to make it past the front doors of the centre. To anyone who’s thinking about or once debated stopping by My Sisters’ House, let Fiona’s words encourage you to take your own leap of faith, ‘Just walk in.’

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