February is officially the month of love, and this year self-love is the focus for a special virtual event taking place in aid of Smart Works Leeds, the charity supporting women back into employment.

Founded by Miss Lubna Khan-Salim, a Yorkshire based surgeon and business owner of skin clinic, Time to Bloom, the Make a Date with You online wellness event will include include a series of interactive talks and panel discussions from a range of inspiring female experts.

Taking place on Friday 12th February 7pm-10pm, the event will include sessions on yoga, styling, nutrition, relaxation techniques, empowerment, a sound bath, and panel discussion on the menopause and peri-menopause.

Lubna says: “It’s been an incredibly difficult year for many, and women often neglect their own care and wellbeing for the sake of others. We’re inviting ladies to make a date night with themselves this February: to get comfy and give themselves some self-love and self-care. These few hours will be dedicated to them and leave them with a warm glow of empowerment, solace and contentment.”

Tickets are now on sale and include a donation to the Smart Works charity, plus guests can purchase a ticket that includes a pamper goodie bag that will be delivered ahead of the evening to get actively involved with the sessions and enjoy a few treats from event partners.

Lubna adds: “Smart Works Leeds is a brilliant charity whose services will be needed now more than ever. With the last year preventing the usual fundraising events taking place, we hope this event will help raise some much-needed support. We are also offering a Pay it Forward ticket option that means not only will it cover the price of your own ticket, donation and goodie bag, it means a fully funded place is made available to another person who for whatever reason would be unable to cover the ticket costs.”

Helen Oldham, chair of Smart Works Leeds said: “When we first heard the idea of Lubna’s event, we absolutely loved what it stood for and we were delighted with her support. Smart Works is all about empowering women, giving them the confidence to fulfil their dreams and goals. The topics covered at the Make a Date with You event will undoubtedly be incredibly relatable and enjoyable for all those who attend.”

The event is being supported by Yorkshire Businesswoman magazine. Tickets and details of all the speakers are available via Eventbrite https://make-a-date-with-you.eventbrite.co.uk

Speaker Panel:

💜 Lubna Khan-Salim – Host (@timetobloom.uk) Lubna is the founder and Clinical Director of Time to Bloom, a beauty and wellness clinic in North Yorkshire. As a former NHS surgeon with extensive plastic surgical training, Lubna believes that due to the ever-increasing pressure to look perfect from social media, in a world where we’re increasingly focused on the way we look, we’re becoming unforgiving of ourselves and what makes us unique: women and girls are in the grip of an endless cycle of being made to feel imperfect. Time to Bloom is about redressing the balance and celebrating womankind in every form.

💜 Star Monroe – Instagram sensation & Empowerment Coach (@msstarmonroe) As Star says: “Life is too short to be worried about the size of my waist, fat rolls, wrinkles or trying to do ALL the bloody things absolutely perfectly. I’m here to embrace life by the mammaries and I’ve got a feeling, you are too!”Star spent 30 + years teaching in the health and wellness arena, running multiple successful businesses (and a few unsuccessful ones), is a certified psychotherapist, expert pilates/ yoga teacher and bad ass pole dancer! She will be sharing her wisdom, realness, and fierce belief in YOU!

💜 Carrie Beecroft-Sinnot – Yoga Teacher (@flowlife_yoga) Carrie has practiced yoga for over 30 years and has been teaching for 15 years. She has trained under some of the great modern masters, including Shiva Rea, Tias Little, Liz Lark, Katy Appleton and Anne Marie Newland.With a fascination of connection between body, mind and spirit, Carrie studied Psychology at University College London and began her working life as a health journalist, going on to become a director of commercial photography for Getty Images for ten years.

💜 Sophie Southmayd – Styling Expert and founder of Sophie Southmayd Consulting (@sophiesouthmayd) As Head of Styling at Ralph Lauren in London, Sophie often worked with celebrities, attending lots of glitzy events. Whilst working in this glamorous environment, Sophie noticed 80% of the time she spent in private appointments with her clients, they would discuss their insecurities that they had with Fashion, rather than the clothing items themselves. Sophie has since launched her own digital agency Sophie Southmayd Consulting specialising in social media management and training, content creation, influencer management and website creation, for female-led start-ups.

💜 Natasha Rosenberg – Nutrition Coach @natsha_rosey Over the last 4 years Natasha has studied and worked to understand the benefits of how good nutrition and the power of real food can help people achieve optimal health. Natasha says: “Using my own experience supported by scientific knowledge I am confident that we will be able to get the root cause of a problem using a nutrition-based approach rather than just masking symptoms which is so often the case in conventional medicine.”

💜 Diana Nash – Sound Healer (@thebadasswoo) Diana is a sound healer who is here to flip the spiritual script! As Diana says: “Being spiritual has such preconceived ideas in the west that are just BS! I live in skinny jeans, I love Adidas trainers and I speak to the spirits and they speak through me. I swear a lot and I meditate! I love R&B and shaking my ass on the dance floor and I have a wicked sense of humour!” But most importantly Diana knows how to keep it real and understands how to navigate the human and the spirit world.

💜 Gill Laidler - Editor and founder of Yorkshire Business Woman & Topic UK (@yorkshire_businesswoman) Gill began her career working in advertising and PR, running her own agency by the age of 20. In 2009 Gill set up Ghost Publishing with partner Rob Blackwell working with clients on PR and design. The duo launched TopicUK B2B magazine in April 2013 for the Wakefield area and in 7 years, the magazine has grown in both pagination and quantity and now covers the whole of Yorkshire. In 2020 the partners launched a second publication, Yorkshire Businesswoman.

Highlights

🧘‍♀️ Yoga

🔥 Styling & self confidence

💆🏻‍♀️ Relaxation & healing techniques

🍉 Nutritional advice to nourish your soul and mind

💗 Panel discussion on the menopause

🛀 Soothing sound bath

🎁 Gorgeous goodie bag with lots of beautiful treats

Our series of interactive sessions and panel discussions will leave you with a warm feeling of support and solace. You won't be seen on camera but can ask questions via the online chat. So be prepared to get comfy, sit back and ready to enjoy a fabulous evening.

The event is in support of the fabulous charity, Smart Works Leeds that supports women back into employment with clothing, advice and training.

Along with a donation to the charity, included in the ticket price is a gorgeous pamper goodie bag (with contents worth over £80) that will be delivered to you ahead of the evening so you can get actively involved with the sessions and enjoy a few treats from our special partners.