HOLLY Feltham, owner of hair salon Just Cuts in Lakeside shopping centre, has been crowned Outstanding Young Franchisee of the Year with the Approved Franchise Association (AFA).

Despite lockdowns and salon closures, her passion hasn't gone unnoticed, with the judges commending her efforts during the challenging time.

The AFA awards are designed to recognise talents within the franchising sector and Holly shone slightly brighter than her fellow finalists in the category to scoop the award. This win rounds off a great year for Holly and her team of stylists, despite the challenges of COVID-19.

"I'm so proud to have won this award after only just a couple of months since opening my new salon. At the beginning of September, I moved from a kiosk station to a new unit within the shopping centre, doubling in size and allowing us to work with more clients. It's great to be recognised for all my hard work and it's made me determined to exit this lockdown in even higher spirits than we did the first one," said Holly.

Holly joined the Lakeside salon as a Stylist in January 2018. A year later, she made the leap to become the owner, taking over the running of the kiosk. Since then, after taking over larger premises, she's eager to make 2021 a year to remember.

"I plan to open two more salons in the near future and I'm very excited to see what's in store. One thing is for sure, there will be many people looking to get their hair sorted as we come out of lockdown 2."

Just Cuts will open its salon doors again on Thursday, 3 December. To find out how you can book in to get your cut, visit their Facebook page.