The Mum Club (TMC) hosted their first brunch event in East Ayrshire which allowed mums of all stages to gather together and build a supportive community.
The Brunch Club took place on March 13 at The Glasshouse Restaurant within the Rowallan Castle estate which was sold out.
The event included brunch and drinks for mums and a small play space for mini brunchers along with a nanny who helped to keep them entertained.
The TMC in East Ayrshire is now planning three more events, including two Coffee Clubs and one Brunch Club, with events for May and June in the pipeline.
The event was hosted by Candice Gibson and Deborah Rafferty who are both mums to one-year-old daughters and wanted to create a safe environment for women.
The event host Candice, who works as a part-time beauty therapist in Kilmarnock, commented: "After having my daughter Indie, I was lucky enough to have a support system around me, but I’m aware not everyone has this.
“Me and Deborah attended TMC East Renfrewshire’s first brunch last August and we just loved the concept.
"There is zero judgement and it’s such a welcoming environment to be around. Not everyone who has children have friends who also have children, so our events are a fantastic way to meet like-minded women from all walks of life.”
Another event host Deborah, who is soon going to return to her job as a part-time nurse, shared that during maternity leave with her daughter Isla, she missed being able to meet and chat with people at work daily.
She said: “I wanted to join TMC as I love everything they stand for. We create a safe place to gather for women who are living the same reality and can relate to how you are thinking and feeling.
"Motherhood can be a lonely and overwhelming place without the right support network, so I wanted to help fill that gap for mums in East Ayrshire.
“Although there are so many baby classes, which is brilliant, there was nothing for the mums.
"We want to help mums feel comfortable getting out and socialising with other women. We hope to make our mums feel special at our events as it’s what they deserve.”
The community was created back in 2016 by Lauren Webber and Jessica Lawes, the pair came together with the mutual frustration that there is nothing out there that puts the mothers' needs first.
Now the TMC has almost 50 franchises across the UK but only three in Scotland, including East Ayrshire, Glasgow and East Renfrewshire. The TMC has recently gone global with their first franchise set up in Dubai.
It’s growing fast and Candice and Deborah would love to see more pop up in Scotland.
Candice said: ”Our launch event went better than we could have hoped for. We sold out pretty quickly and our mums thoroughly enjoyed the day.
"We had the fabulous Donne from Bella and Duck Photography with us on the day to capture special moments of our mums and their little ones.
"We also had a small pop-up stall with Amy who owns Cater’s Candles who was so kind to gift our mums some wax melts and we had delicious cupcakes gifted by Baked By Stacey G.
“We have also teamed up with Stephanie Church who owns The Glasgow Nanny, and we will always have herself or one of her nannies at our events.
"It’s so handy having an extra pair of hands so mums can get the chance to enjoy their lunch and a hot cuppa, there will always be one of us there to help out and give the little ones a cuddle.”
Deborah added: “No topic is off limits, and no one needs to stress if they have a fussy baby, hungry baby, or sleepy baby. You can come with your baby, toddler, or bump, alone and with a friend. All women at any stage of motherhood are welcome.
“Brunch Clubs are the place for us to showcase local businesses, so mums can expect little goodies and the chance to purchase some gifts for themselves or others. Coffee Clubs are where we will hopefully have guest speakers to chat with everyone."
The TMC will host a Coffee Club on Wednesday, March 29 where speaker Jen from Wee Sleepy Ones will be coming along to talk all things about baby and toddler sleep.
The next Brunch Club will take place on Friday 14 April, where guests will be able to enjoy a brunch meal, and hot drinks of their choice and receive a TMC goodie bag. Children can enjoy the small play area with toys.
Both events will take place at the scenic Laird's Table. To register for the events, click here.
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