Kin Collective

“The activities at Kin collective has been the lifeline I so needed at the most vulnerable time in my life, becoming a mum. Most importantly, activities at Kin (we were regulars at kin cuppa and weigh and stay) are accessible (friendly, free! and non-judgemental) and provided a safe space for us to meet and support other parents and form a local network of other parents I now call friends. At a time when our NHS support services are so overstretched and cost of living spirals it is services like those at Kin that are so so vital for new mums. I am incredibly grateful for everything Kin has been for us and know it will provide that same support for both my growing family and other parents to be.”

“I have been coming to Kin Collective for several months now since having my baby. I have attended several funded events and activities to meet other mums and this has been invaluable place for emotional support whilst going through what can be an isolating experience as a first time mum. Kathryn has always made us feel welcome and supported, and had been a great place to meet friends, learn and seek/offer support others going through the same journey. Knowing there are weekly activities on a regular basis that i can drop into is amazing, and often something that we strive to get out the house for especially with a young baby. Without this valuable community resource, I know parents with little social support would become more isolated.I would highly recommend these activities to any mums seeking to connect with other mums and babies.”

“Kathryn has built a real community hub at Kin Collective, it's an invaluable space in the area for new parents. The buggy walks were a chance to get out the house in the early months of my maternity leave, a lovely chance to meet other mums and share experiences. I also attended her Weigh and Stay regularly, which was of great help and reassurance for me, with a premature baby on a low percentile, being able to check his growth more regularly than the NHS services available. This session was always very busy and clearly other families also found it useful. I would highly recommend to expectant and new parents, to help navigate the early months of parenthood.”

“I use Kin Collective alot. I was very emotional and nervous in the beginning of pregnancy (having gone through losses). Kin has been part of my journey towards being a confident and happy mother and through it I have made friends. It is an important place for me to go. I have met so many people through here and it has been a lovely centre to go to during my maternity days. I have so far shared my worries with other mums over a coffee about issues such as sleepless nights (whilst our babies play) @kincuppa and been reassurred my baby is doing well @weighandstay. I most recently was so happy at completing my first 5km after completing the back to running course at kin collective. Before pregnancy I used to enjoy running lots so getting back to exercise was really important. It has been so lovely to have this centre in the area I live.”

“I have attended multiple Kin Collective events arranged by Kathryn with my second daughter. Each session is always well attended and it is a wonderful calm space to find mutual support as well as ask for expert advice. This type of group is a vital lifeline for many new parents during a time which can be extremely tough. I wish there had been more groups like this when I had my first daughter and was living elsewhere.”

“I didn’t know how hard it would be, having my first just before the pandemic was really lonely. I felt totally unsupported to begin with so it was such a relief to join the online community group and the weekly coffee groups on zoom. Just chatting to other new mums and knowing I wasn’t alone really helped lift my mood. It was good to be able to chat about normal baby stuff - teething, weaning, sleep and not feeling like I had to figure it out on my own. Then when we are able I started joining the weekly buggy walks to connect up with other new parents in person, it doesn’t sound like much but those two things were totally invaluable at a time when even my parents couldn’t come into the house. Second time round has felt really different. I was able to attend pregnancy classes each week, we’ve been coming to the Kin Cuppa and baby massage, since my daughter was 5 weeks old and have started to do more activities. All the events I’ve attended are really social and everyone is welcoming, Kathryn makes sure everyone is included and looked after. It’s been such a different experience this time round which I’m so grateful for.”