BUSINESSWOMAN Angela Sandland suffered chronic back pain for years after surgery went wrong.

As a youngster, the 23-year-old graduate from Leigh underwent 10 operations on her badly curved spine.

Then Angela discovered that the Japanese art of reiki helped to ease the torment, and decided to pass on the delights of the oriental healing skills to others.

With help from royalty she set off on business road to success.

Thanks to the Prince's Youth Business Trust she was able to set up her own Sulis Healing Arts Centre in Leigh.

One year on her Brown Street North HQ is now buzzing, and Angela has also become a fully qualified reiki master-teacher.

She celebrated her first anniversary with a taster evening and open evening when visitors were able to browse the range of products which includes crystals, feng shui cures and Native American jewellery.

After gaining her A-levels, Angela, of Hanover Street, studied for an Arts Therapy degree at Derby University on the advice of her drama lecturer.

On returning to Leigh she started drama therapy lessons for the disabled, then studied reiki, a form of hands on healing, in Sheffield.

A lover of all things Oriental Angela started taking clients at the Astley Complementary Therapy Clinic, but found it was not big enough for her workshops.

She found she was advising them to go to Manchester to pick up crystals and incense.

She decided there must be a call for a shop in Leigh and set about devising a business plan for the Prince's Trust who helped to make her dream come true.

She said: "I had all the ideas about business but no money. I applied to the Trust, they were delighted with my plan and gave me a loan."

Angela said: "Thirteen years ago I had major surgery on my back at Alder Hey. Unfortunately it all went wrong and I ended up having 10 operations up to the age of 16.

"I still suffered horrendous pain and decided to give reiki a shot. I worked straight away. I can treat myself now and I don't need pain killers."

Angela also teaches visual arts classes, dance, drama and music to help people with different disorders.

This time last year Angela was purely administering reiki, a therapy of Tibetan origin, which promotes well-being and feelings of peace and contentment. Now she is a master-teacher who has taught 15 others including her own mum, who knew little of the therapies. She said: "The Prince's Trust has been fantastic for me, and I would advise anyone between 18 and 30 thinking of starting a business to apply for a grant -- as long as they have a good idea."