THE PRINCESS PROJECT 

We wish to run Mums' Hubs: safe, welcoming spaces for vulnerable mums and their families to find community and support, and to access Totcycle, our baby and toddler bank.

"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to ....more

"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to operate, thereby reducing the burden on public services.2) To ensure essential services are provided to vulnerable people, both in the short and long term through increased community support through the work of charitable organisations."

towards two years' running costs of the Weekly Hub project, providing support to vulnerable mothers and mothers to be in Maidstone, Kent

This two-year project supports mums on the Park Wood estate, Maidstone by running a weekly Mum’s Hub, which offers a safe, welcoming space for Mum’s and their pre-school children. The Hub offers ....more

This two-year project supports mums on the Park Wood estate, Maidstone by running a weekly Mum’s Hub, which offers a safe, welcoming space for Mum’s and their pre-school children. The Hub offers a chance to get out and meet other local mums over a cup of tea and a chat, to build new friendships and tackle social isolation, whilst their children play and socialise. The Totcycle service also runs whilst the Hub is open, offering free second-hand clothing, toys and equipment for families in need. A steering group made up of mums meet quarterly to help develop and improve the service.

Expected outcomes: Mums will become more connected with other people (less socially isolated) -Befrienders will provide the individual support needed to facilitate vulnerable mums getting out and ....more

Expected outcomes: Mums will become more connected with other people (less socially isolated) -Befrienders will provide the individual support needed to facilitate vulnerable mums getting out and about -Befrienders will help mums to engage with local groups and services, accompanying mums as needed, helping to make introductions, and providing physical and emotional support -The Hub will provide a weekly meeting point for young mums (being able to access Totcycle significantly helps engagement). The high ratio of team: visitors means that no-one can attend the group and not be spoken to/followed up. -Team members at the Hub facilitate conversations between parents, and encourage mums to keep in touch with each other between sessions -Staff members (Hub) and volunteer befrienders (Mum2Mum) will message mums between sessions/meetings, keeping in touch, following up on any issues raised during sessions and ensuring mums know that they are not alone and that support is available should they need it Mums will feel less lonely -Getting out and about and meeting new people, receiving a gift box, or getting a message from PP team or a new friend will help mums to feel less alone, improving their emotional and mental health and wellbeing Improved parenting skills -Increasing the social network of a previously isolated young mother will have a positive effect on her parenting -Some new parents lack positive parental role models, and need to be shown/taught parenting skills, from the practical (eg weaning a toddler), to how to communicate or play with their children -Mum2Mum befrienders become a trusted source of parenting support and advice for the mums they befriend -Giving mums the opportunity to chat to/observe how other mums parent at the Hub, and ask advice from the Princess Project team, will improve parental confidence

This one-year project was the development of existing work. The Princess Project continued to deliver activities and events to build a supportive community of mothers in the Park Wood area of ....more

This one-year project was the development of existing work. The Princess Project continued to deliver activities and events to build a supportive community of mothers in the Park Wood area of Maidstone. Activities included coffee mornings, a baby and toddler goods exchange, and courses to build self-esteem. The project was led by a steering group of mums, some mums also supported the project as volunteers and participants had the opportunity to shape activity through questionnaires, informal feedback and a termly focus group.