A MUM of three turned her life around and started a boutique after finding herself without a job in lockdown.

Natasha Cafferty, from Littleborough, opened her new clothing and accessories store Lulu's Boutique in Bacup and has plans to move there to restart her life after losing her jobs in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

Miss Cafferty is 31 and previously worked at two coffee shops. But after the lockdown she was not called to go back into work.

She started on online store in May but her boutique on Burnley Road in Bacup opened officially on Saturday.

She said: “It was just an available shop there and I did not get much support in my own community but Bacup does not have anything like this and we are looking to move there.

“I left my jobs in March and I did not hear anything from either work place and I did not want to sit at home doing nothing.”

She had been working for a year at one place and a few months at the other.

She said: “It was awful, I have three children so I thought about what I could do, because I had nothing, no money and no job for a while in lockdown.

“I had to rely on family and friends to help me out, I was just borrowing from everywhere.

“We had to tighten up and it was hard on my children, they were sad, and we struggled so I can’t imagine how many other families may be going through the same thing during this time.”

The mum was left with no choice but to use any remaining money she did have to create her own business.

She said: “If we have another lockdown, then I don’t think people will be able to cope mentally if they do not have jobs and support.

“I had times where I could not get out of my bed and if it was not for my children, I wouldn’t have been able to do all of this.”

But, the mum of three came up with an idea during her challenging times, that she could start her own clothing boutique.

She said: “I did not think I would be in this position today, but here I am.

“The business is doing very well and most of my online customers have dropped in now. I feel proud of myself and grateful, but also worried about the future.

"However, this has given me a purpose.”