The Sanctuary Botley

The Sanctuary Botley is run by Laura, who took over the business three years ago at a very difficult time in her life.

After working in banking and finance and suffering a complete nervous breakdown, she happened to book a facial. When the business-owner mentioned that they were leaving, she made a decision to take over the business and start afresh. Now she has a full team and three additional specialists operating as part of The Sanctuary from a quirky period property on the busy high street: Emily for luxe brows and microblading; Kat, an intensive care nurse, for medicare aesthetics; and David for synergy and sports massage.

Due to her own experiences, Laura is extremely passionate about mental health and prioritises wellness for all of her clients.

Laura said: “The COVID situation has not been great but the commitment of my team and my incredible loyal customers has got me through. A lot of people have been really struggling, and craving touch and connection. I am the sort of person who’ll pop my head out the door and welcome someone in for a cup of tea or a mini massage if they seem like they need it – our doors are open to everyone.  

“We get customers coming from long distances – some people come from London for Emily’s eyebrows. It’s not just about nails. In fact, treatments often become more like counselling sessions. I am currently treating a teen with massage for severe anxiety and it’s so important to me that everything is friendly and puts people at ease. The reception has an additional sofa just there in case anyone needs to sit and have a chat. 

“I adore this job because of the connections and the conversations you can have; I have also reached out to the local community and I try and work as closely as I can with our surrounding businesses. If you put something positive out there, you will hopefully get it back in return.”