Caring Burnley businesswoman is helping to save lives of families left poverty stricken on pandemic hit paradise isle

Cathy Hughes-Hobbs was on a Mediterranean cruise with her husband, Martin Hobbs, when they first met Eka, a young woman from Bali, who was working as a waitress in one of the bars.

Cathy said: " The first thing I noticed about her was the way her smile brightened up the whole room.

"She greeted everyone with the word arigato, which means ‘thank you’ in Japanese.I started to say it back to her which made us laugh and that’s where our friendship began.

"Being a northern lass myself I taught her how to say ‘hello’ in Wiganese and every evening when we met I would say “arigato” and she would say “aye up, e’t alreet."

The pair kept in touch on social media, exchanging Christmas and birthday greetings and news of their families.

But then the pandemic hit and Cathy noticed a post from Eka about colourful children's masks she and her sister were making to sell in Bali.

Cathy got in touch and discovered that since Eka and all her colleagues had lost their jobs and returned home, the masks were her only source of income.

Cathy said: "Eka's wage from the cruise company had supported her family - mother, sister, nephews and nieces.

"During our messages it became clear that the whole family were desperate, with no government aid the whole island dependant on tourism these were truly dreadful times for them all.

"They may be living in paradise but at the moment they have absolutely nothing."

A successful businesswoman, Cathy is an advanced aesthetic practitioner and teacher and the founder and director of Lipology, a procedure she has perfected after many years of experience in the field of injectables.

She met her husband of seven years through their shared loved of football. Martin was a director at Burnley FC for 10 years and the couple still have director’s guest lounge tickets and go to all the games.

Cathy (57) vowed to do something to help Eka and her family and came up with the idea of buying some of the masks to sell in the UK.

She guided Eka through the process of importation from Bali to the UK and sent £1,300 to pay for the masks and shipping. Cathy said: "The shipping costs are almost as much as the masks and we are selling them for 49p which is what they cost me and no-one in the UK is making a profit from the sale of the masks."

Lipology donated an extra £300 so the cost of the masks can be kept to 49 pence.

And it seems that Cathy stepped in just in time as Eka told her the situation had become so dire they were boiling leaves from the forest to make soup to survive.

Cathy said: "When I hear of people in the UK moaning about being bored during lockdown or being unable to get a delivery slot from the supermarket it really brings home to me how very lucky we actually are.

"With furlough schemes and mortgage breaks etc. we can look forward to a future that is positive but for Eka and her loved ones returning to normal life will be a much harder task."

Cathy discovered there is a real demand for the masks which are made from colourful, fun patterned material. She has sold around 1,000 and hopes to boost that as, although lockdown restrictions have been eased, people are still being encouraged to wear masks while out and about in public.

She said:"I would love for children here in Britain to wear them when they’re out and about knowing that by doing so they have helped children just like them to survive in a far away island.

"By wearing a mask children can be detracted from touching their own mouth or nose. They may not stop the virus altogether but they do make us subconsciously aware about the importance of social distancing when we wear them.

"And the fact they are colourful and fun makes them more appealing to youngsters."

Cathy has even managed to accommodate requests for themed masks and also colours of favourite football teams and she is looking into making claret and blue ones, of course!

She would also encourage anyone wishing to get involved, either by buying Eka’s masks or telling others about them, to ask their children to write a letter or draw a picture for Eka’s family and friends.

Cathy said: "I will send them over to Bali so together we can show these lovely people that we care even from so far away.

"I’m looking for schools or children’s organisations to get involved, it not only helps Eka and her family but the children of the UK can learn about how other communities across the world are using their initiative to get through the Covid19 disaster. "

What makes this story extra heartwarming is the fact another thousand masks are on their way over to the UK and because of the additional money this has generated, and thanks to the generosity of those who have already ordered, Eka has been able to send food to neighbouring villages.

Cathy said: "It is just wonderful to know that we have been able to help these people from such a simple idea that costs 49p."

Anyone who would like more information or to order masks is asked to email Cathy at [email protected] or ring 07469190503.