A beauty therapist is urging women and girls in Bracknell to follow their dreams.

Andrea Jones, who runs the Andrea Danielle beauty therapy school, became a single mother at 16 but did not let this deter her from pursuing her dream of becoming a beauty therapist.

With 13 years of beauty therapy experience and eight years of teaching experience, Ms Jones wants to inspire women and girls in the Bracknell area with confidence in themselves so that they can achieve their goals if they put their minds to it.

Ms Jones is offering free advice to women and girls in and around Bracknell who are interested in pursuing a career as a beauty therapist.

She said: "Whether you are 16 years old with no qualifications, a young mum, or in a later stage of life and looking to learn new skills, the opportunity is there for anyone who wants it.

"Being a beauty therapist is something that can be done on a full-time or part-time basis. It's a great confidence boost to be able to work for yourself, on your own terms.

"It suits all types of people, including mums who have kids at school, or if their current job doesn’t support working within school hours."

Ms Jones believes there is no age barrier in the beauty therapy field.

She said: "Even if you are in your 30s, 40s or older, you can still become a beauty therapist.

"Even people who are not very academic can become beauty therapists, as it is more about creative and visual learning."

Ms Jones wants to use her own story as an inspiration for other women.

She said: "Becoming a single mum at 16 meant I was judged and looked down on, but I wanted to prove a point and work around my daughter.

"I wanted to use my initiative to earn money and show my daughter and others that you can follow your dreams, even if you are a young single mum.

"I have raised my daughter on my own whilst building a business from scratch, buying one product, tool and training course as and when I could afford it."

Ms Jones' hard work and determination have seen her approached to teach GCSE beauty courses in two secondary schools and a SEN school. She said it was perfect for her as her daughter has ADHD and autism.

Ms Jones believes that working for yourself is a great way to live life on your own terms.

She said: "Being in this role is very rewarding when you make people happy with beauty treatments and are able to teach them something new, so they can build their own businesses and work hours to suit them."