Guest column... Caroline Nokes MP

and finally...

Caroline Nokes MP discusses the importance of restoring confidence in our clients.

The word confidence

has been used a great deal recently, whether in relation to vaccine confidence, the confidence to go back to the office, to go to the pub, or in fact the gym, salon

or studio. It has prompted me to think about what confidence means to each of us individually, and that what some of us view as safe might be seen as difficult or a risk to others.

In restoring national confidence postpandemic, the government has a big role to play. We need the economy to bounce back and for people to go back to living their lives — the vaccine programme has so far been a stunning success in facilitating that. I am astonished at the number of people who have already received their first vaccine and the roll out of the second jabs seems to be going well.

It gives us the opportunity to look to the future and give people a message that it is ok to get back to doing the things that give us pleasure and make us feel better. This is where the wellbeing sector can really step in. I am conscious that last spring, after spas, salons, and therapy services re-opened, there was nervousness. I could see that just as a customer — too many times I went to a near deserted salon as customers were too anxious to return.

But the other side to that is the massive good the sector can do to help restore the missing confidence. We all know social isolation has been very tough, and particularly for older clients, for whom the message for many months was to ‘stay home’. Virtually, I have met far too many people who have been really impacted by that, who would hugely benefit from just being able to talk to someone. It is incredibly therapeutic just to be able to have a chat and that is what many of us have missed most.

I absolutely recognise that different treatments will have different values to people. I know my mood is altered by the colour of my nails (a bit of summer brightness and the world is a better place!), but for others it could be a complementary therapy, exercise, or getting a wash and blow dry. Of course, the sum is greater than the component parts, and wellbeing combines to make people feel better, which if you believe in a happiness index, is a great thing.

Of course there is an additional economic benefit in empowering people to hold their heads high and feel more confident in themselves. I am constantly stunned by women my age who tell me they don’t have the confidence to apply for a new job, ask for a promotion or to take up a new sport or hobby. They are worried how they will be perceived and as a result too many allow themselves to fade into the background.

If I have one mission at the moment it is to talk up confidence, whether that’s personal confidence or business confidence. We have had a tough year and have to embrace this opportunity to re-start, and work at putting a confident smile back on the nation’s faces. T

Caroline Nokes

was elected MP for Romsey and Southampton North in 2010. Caroline is the Chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee, having previously served in the Cabinet as Immigration Minister. carolinenokes.com