Mothering Sunday can feel like any other day without a partner to rally the troops. Particularly for the estimated 1.8 million single mums in the UK with dependent children.
To remedy this, London based family charity MammaKind are mobilising communities to gift just an hour of their time on Mothering Sunday morning, to ensure no single mum feels forgotten.
The Hour To Give initiative calls on neighbours, friends, family to offer an extra pair of hands, help the kids make a card or rustle up some eggs on toast, to ensure local single Mums get the appreciation and downtime they deserve.
In a nationwide piece of research (2,000 respondents)**, single mums cited the below as the things they would love most this Mother’s Day:
- A hug (46%)
- To be told how appreciated they are (36%)
- A bunch of flowers (40%)
- A home cooked breakfast (26%)
- A hand made card from the kids (24%)
And, highlighting scarcity of time, 45% of single mums get less than an hour a day to themselves with 15% getting less than 30 minutes.
Food and floristry businesses can also support those getting behind the movement by donating flowers, food or drink and posting on Instagram with the hashtag #HourToGive. Gails Bakery Blackheath and The Blackheath House are just a couple who have already signed up.
The initiative is being backed by Emma Corbett Amato and her sister Tasha Amato, originally from Lewisham. Tasha is a single Mum and proud stroke survivor. Here is the moment her sister Emma surprised her for the Hour To Give initiative, with a touching message from Tasha’s son Archie and nieces Emilia, Evie and Isabella, with news of their plans for Mothering Sunday HERE.
Thirty-five year old Tasha had her life drastically change in 2022 when she unexpectedly suffered a stroke. Unable to walk, talk, carry out her job or her hobby as a Zumba teacher, Tasha couldn’t remember who her friends and family were or parent her son independently, She spent months in hospital and had to go through an intensive programme of rehabilitation. She is still facing many challenges today but as a single Mum to her eight year old son Archie, she is committed to sustaining her resilience and being an incredible role model.
Tasha comments:
“Being a single Mum means you do a Mum and Dad’s job. It’s amazing and very special but it’s also very full on and you get very little time for yourself.
The Hour To Give campaign is a great way of ensuring single mums like myself feel appreciated on Mother’s Day. Just an hour of your time could make a huge different and if it wasn’t for my sister Emma, my Mother’s Day would be non-existent as little Archie would think it was just a normal day!
Since having a stroke in 2022 my life has become very different. I can no longer work fulltime or dance and teach Zumba like I used to, but I am so dedicated to being strong and the best Mum to Archie. My family keep me going but it’s not everyday you are told how appreciated you are. This initiative will really make a difference”.
Kirsty Lowe, Co-Founder of MammaKind comments:
“Whether it’s popping over to make eggs on toast or simply giving a local single Mum some words of appreciation, your time donation this Mother’s Day could be absolutely invaluable.
This campaign truly captures the essence of what MammaKind is about and we came up with the idea to ensure that single Mums across the UK, just like the amazing Tasha, were celebrated and recognised, even if their children are too young to do it themselves.
The majority of our beneficiaries are single Mums and we see first-hand what an incredible job they do for their families. This is only year 1 of our brand new initiative but our ultimate goal is growing this from year to year and ensuring no single Mum ever goes forgotten on Mothering Sunday”.
MammaKind is a South London based family charity and a baby bank that distributes pre-loved and new donations of clothing, toiletries, toys and baby equipment and more to support struggling families. Since starting up in 2020, the charity have helped over 8,000 family members with the majority of their beneficiaries being single mums with children aged five years and under.
Free Goodie Bags for Blackheath Locals
If you’re near Blackheath, you can take part in this movement in a very special way. On Sunday 30 March, from 9am to 12 noon, pop into Blackheath Yoga (35 Tranquil Vale, SE3 0BU) to pick up a complimentary goodie bag to treat a single mum who deserves a little extra love this Mother’s Day.
Each goodie bag includes:
- Gifts from Hortus
- Baked treats from Gails Bakery Blackheath
- A selection of pamper goodies
Bonus treats:
- The first 5 bags will include a free yoga class pass from Blackheath Yoga
- The Blackheath House are offering 10 free coffees
Arrive early to avoid disappointment.
More info here: https://mammakind.org.uk/hour-to-give-join-us-in-celebrating-single-mums-this-mothers-day/