CARLISLE'S newest business is one born of sisterhood and the determination to succeed against the backdrop of a difficult past.
Four Afghan sisters have transformed a unit in Carlisle's Market Hall into the new venture, 4 Sisters Beauty Salon.
After 40 days of refurbishment, the salon opened on February 12 offering services including nail and hair extensions, eyelashes, professional make-up, and henna, six days a week from 10am to 4pm.
The sisters first arrived in Cumbria back in 2022 after leaving Iran, where they'd been living as refugees in search of better prospects, and have found a new home in Carlisle after moving from Whitehaven.
And whilst it's an exciting new venture, it hasn't distracted too much from the family's first love: football.
Mozghan, Rozma, Roma and Resalat Ghafouri, along with their mother and father, fled Afghanistan in the 90s after the Taliban took control.
Living in Iran, football played a major role in the family's life. The sisters poured their energies into aiding Afghan migrants through the sport.
The Ghafouri sisters defied the norms, coaching from the sidelines and helping find a new home for players through their team Ariana.
In recent decades, in Iran, women have been allowed into football stadiums only on a select few occasions. And whilst things are improving according to Mozghan, it's still a difficult situation for female football coaches and players.
"Now it's changed, now women are going to stadiums to watch football whereas before, they couldn't even go into the stadium," she said.
"In Iran, we were refugees. We couldn't improve our lives, but we hope a move here will improve our football and the chance to play at a higher level. Iran is a hard place to live, even for Iranians.
"We do everything together, we play football together and now have a beauty salon together.
"The beauty salon is a job though, the dream is football," said Mozghan, who also plays for Carlisle United's women's team.
And whilst the sisters are excited to welcome everyone to their first-ever business, they hope in the future they will be able to create an international football side here in Carlisle, similar to what they had established in Iran.
Beyond their entrepreneurial spirit and sporting prowess, the Ghafouri sisters have been actively engaged in providing support to Iranian women who were previously residing at Cumbria Park Hotel.
Through initiatives like the Minutes 4 Miles programme, Mozghan has also recently passed her driving test, all with the help of groups like Carlisle's Refugee Action Group.
"Whenever we've needed support CRAG has helped us. Whenever we have a problem, Adrienne (Gill) always comes to help - they have really nice people involved," she said.
You can find the Four Sisters Beauty Salon on Instagram via 4sisters_beautysalon or via TikTok on @4sisters.beauty.s
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