Laura, Mini First Aid Durham, tells her story.  "I wanted a job I could be proud of!"

What was it that prompted you to consider a career change?

I had worked as an administrator for a few years, but when I had Hannah, my priorities changed.

If work was going to mean time away from my daughter, I needed it to be something that felt really worthwhile.  I didn’t want to work just to pay for childcare.

How did you first hear about Mini First Aid?

I attended a Mini First Aid class when Hannah was born, and wrote about it for my parenting blog.  I was really impressed with the class and told all my friends about it.

How did you then come to buy a Mini First Aid franchise?

I kept in touch with Gail who ran the franchise, and she asked if I would work for her as an additional trainer.  I had completed all the training and was looking forward to running some classes, when Gail decided to sell the business. 

I then had a big decision to make, as I hadn’t planned to buy a franchise, however by then I knew it was what I wanted to do.  I decided to take the leap and bought the franchise for Mini First Aid Durham in November 2017.

A year on, how are things going?

I’m so glad I decided to buy a Mini First Aid franchise, as I really enjoy what I do.  The flexibility is brilliant, as I don’t need to pay for any childcare – my Dad looks after Hannah while I’m running my classes.

What do you enjoy most about working for Mini First Aid?

It’s great to have a job I can be proud of.  When people ask what I do, I feel really proud telling them, and it’s such a rewarding job.  I’m so passionate about training other people in life-saving first aid and feel like I am making a valuable contribution.  My family all think it’s hilarious that I do first aid training for a living, as I’ve always been really squeamish and used to faint in Biology at school!  However the training I received was excellent and I really enjoy delivering the classes and meeting new people.

Do you just run first aid classes for parents?

As well as the 2-hour classes for parents, I also run early years classes in nurseries, where I teach pre-schoolers some basics such as what to do in an emergency and making sure they know their address.  You often hear about young children who have dialled 999 and saved their mum or dad’s life so it’s great to be able to give them the skills to do this at such a young age.

What are the benefits of buying a Mini First Aid franchise?

I did think about setting up on my own, but I’m so glad to have the support of a Mini First Aid HQ behind me.  Having such an established and trusted brand really helps, as parents want to know that they are getting good quality training.  I also get lots of support from the other franchisees which is really important.  I know I would have struggled a lot more if I had tried to do it on my own.

I feel really lucky to have found a job which enables me to spend time with Hannah, but also gives me a real sense of doing something good.  Every time I go to work I could help to save someone’s life, which is a great feeling!

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