A FLINTSHIRE masseur has spoken of her pride after winning a national award.

Barbara Masters from Flint opened Serenity Acupuncture and Holistics at Lyons Den Fitness in Bagillt last January and after just over a year in business, she has already won two awards.

The company offers customers acupuncture and massage treatment as well as reflexology, aromatherapy and facials.

Now Barbara has been named Face The World practitioner of the year 2019 after competing against 11 other practitioners from across the UK.

She said: "We have had to get our clients to vote for us and I had an email to say I had won. It's a national award so I was competing against people all over the country.

"I was chuffed to bits. I've only been open for 18 months, some of these people have been opened for years. I was really pleased and so proud of myself.

"It's the second award I've won. It's crazy but I'm really proud.

"The award is getting more and more well known and it can open the doorway for other things such as getting more clients and entering more awards. It gets my name more out there."

Barbara said she wished to give a special thanks to Holywell-based Kindness In Mind (KIM) – a project that focuses on improving each individual’s mental health and personal wellbeing - after receiving its support.

She told the Leader: "I was supported a lot by KIM because I struggled with mental health for many years. They have given me the confidence to do what I wanted. I'm a single mum with kids and a carer for my mum who was diagnosed with cancer, so they are in the background to help me.

"I have volunteered for KIM and constantly tell people the effects massages can have on mental health. they are so good in helping relieve stress, anxiety and depression. We are all so busy so no-one gets time to switch off.

"I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who voted for me, I didn't expect to win and I wouldn't have done it without them."