FAQs
What does it mean to be part of Mothers CAN?
Mothers CAN holds space for mums across the UK. We come together to... -connect -share -build leadership skills -learn how to make meaningful change together You can get as involved as you want. Attend a training course, drop in to a training or speaker session, or join our steering group. Or join our mailing list to know more about what we’re doing and how you can get involved. Once you’ve connected with us or attended a training there is no obligation to do more. It’s up to you how much you get involved.
How does Mothers CAN differ from other parent groups?
There are lots of fantastic parent groups doing brilliant work across the UK. We would recommend that you do your own research on your local groups. Find out what each group is about and what they are doing. Each group is different, which is great. We work in partnership and try not to replicate each other's work. Many of the other parent groups are issue specific and/or focus on campaigning through mobilising large groups of people. Our focus is on building the skills and confidence of mums, so that they can make an informed decision about how and where they can make the most impact. For those mums who are ready, we help them set up a Mothers CAN group, which is small and hyper-local. As Margaret Mead famously said, "never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world."
​Where are your groups and can I join one?
We have groups all over the UK taking action in their local communities. Get in touch to let us know where you are and we’ll see if any of the mums in our Network are nearby. If so, with their permission, we can put you in touch to see if there is common ground to explore.
Can I set up a Mothers CAN group?
Mothers CAN helps support collective action, or action involving others. By building skills and confidence through training and peer support, we help mums work out what type of action would work best for them. For those mums who are ready and keen, we help them set up their own Mothers CAN group in their local communities. Mums recruit a group from their network, and then we facilitate a series of meetings and activities with the group to help get them going.
How do you stay connected?
We have a regular newsletter that lets our wider community know what we’re up to and how you can get involved. Those who are more regularly involved with Mothers CAN (by attending a course or a bi-monthly training session) are invited to join our Whatsapp community. We connect monthly at a virtual session, and once a year we try to meet in person.
Who is the Anxiety to Action course for?
We run our Anxiety to Action course twice a year to help any mum who wants to know more about taking collective action and how to get going.
Do I have to take the Anxiety to Action course to become part of the network?
No. You can join the mailing list or join any of our bi-monthly training sessions. Get in touch to find out more.
How are you funded?
We received a set-up grant 4 years ago that helped us develop our website, branding, and systems. Two years ago we raised money through The Big Give green match fund. We are currently using those funds to pay the salary of our Operations Manager. As a volunteer-run organisation, our costs are low, so we don’t often seek bigger funding (though every donation from our supporters helps!). This means we can run our Network the way that suits the mums involved rather than reporting back to funders.
Why mothers?
Our role as mothers provides a powerful connection between us. Our experiences of motherhood are all different, but we share a strong and urgent desire to protect our children’s futures, which is why we are strongly motivated to act. Whilst society values the role of mothers, we’re often seen only as care-givers, and along with women more broadly, regularly ignored in decisionmaking. At Mothers CAN we believe we hold power, especially when we work together. By supporting and learning from each other, we can make a space for ourselves in places where mothers often aren’t expected to be.