A CHANCE meeting of two women almost 20 years ago has led to them venturing in to business together.

Sarah Magson and Chrysa Apps were both having treatments at Essential Hair and Beauty, in Kirkbymoorside, when they recognised each other and realised they had worked together 18 years ago when Chrysa had taken Sarah through her first-ever training qualification.

Since their first meeting almost two decades ago, Chrysa had set up Training First, a provider of health and social care training, while Sarah took voluntary redundancy from her position as the assistant learning and development manager for the Wilf Ward Family Trust earlier this year. Sarah said: “At first I didn’t recognise Chrysa, but then it all came flooding back to me. I put her name into Google and then phoned her and we arranged to meet for lunch. “She asked if I wanted to help out with some training, which I did and she then asked if I wanted to do a further qualification to help with training, which was my level five management award for children and young people.”

Sarah now owns Training First after Chrysa retired earlier this year following 10 months of working alongside each other. The 44-year-old runs the business from her Pickering home, travelling out to residential homes to support learners who are undertaking their health and social care diplomas.

The business receives funding from the Skills Funding agency to support learners through qualifications in health and social care at NVQ levels two and three.

Sarah said: “Buying the business has been a big change, but I have always done training and assessing and I have always enjoyed that part of it, even though it was only a small part of my job at the trust.”

For more information, phone Sarah on 07881 978357.