News

TWO friends who run a sandwich shop are packing up the baguettes and preparing to use their loaves - by heading off to university.

Gaynor Sawyer, 46, and Jayne Wood, 42, have run the Designer Sandwich shop on Racecommon Road for 18 years but will be packing up to launch a new career path.

Gaynor, of Kingstone, wants to become an operating department practitioner and Jayne, of Stairfoot, will be studying to be an occupational therapist.

They were up against it, with 300 applicants battling for one of 16 places on Jayne's course at Huddersfield University and 380 vying for one of 58 places on Gaynor's course at Sheffield Hallam University.

"The decision to do it came when I lost my mum," said Gaynor. "I started to think differently and thought to myself if I don't make a change now I never will.

"Then we found out about a girl who comes in the shop and she had just finished her degree in nursing and said to try it.

"So we both went on the access course and it's changed our lives being able to go to university."

The ladies as they both left school without qualifications, and before setting up the sandwich shop worked as cleaners at Barnsley Hospital until they were made redundant.

"We took a chance and opened the shop with £1,500, buying everything second hand. On our first day of business we completely sold out," said Gaynor. "The business has gone from strength to strength and we've turned it into a
limited company and bought the building.

"We will really miss the people, we have a lot to thank them for, but going to university is a dream come true."