From Five to Eighty: The Story of Inspire Café

If you walk past St Swithun’s Lovechurch on a Wednesday morning in term time at 10.30am you might be wondering where the steady stream of parents with prams and pushchairs are heading. Well the answer is ‘Inspire’, a place parents and grandparents can bring their under 4’s to spend time with other parents in a safe space where they can feel a sense of belonging whilst building friendships and wider community links.

The group started April 2024 with just five parents but has grown exponentially and some weeks we are up to 80 mums with babies and toddlers. Parents are offered fresh coffee and homemade cakes and the children have fruit bowls and occasional sweet treats at the end of term themed events.

The group has attracted a lot of local families as it gets excellent reviews on Mumsnet and recommendations from local Health Visitors and Social Workers. But our biggest advert comes by word of mouth from our mums who tell their friends about the group. The morning session runs from 10.30-12.00 in term time.  Every week is very different but a typical week would be an hour of free play, followed by a themed talk related to parenting, story time with Ron and then we close with some singing and action songs which might include bubbles, dancing or a parachute. The group is run by a small but committed group of volunteers, who welcome the families, bake cakes, serve coffee and are a listening ear to a new parent or simply another pair of hands to hold a baby.

These last two years God has really blessed us and we have seen many of our families attending church services and church events, with a number of parents coming forward to be baptised. Last year we also ran a lunchtime Alpha Course for the group with a great response. This led to many of the same parents engaging in the follow up Bible Course. New for this year is the ‘Inspire Connect group ‘ which is focused on parents who are new to having a faith.

If you have a heart for families and think you would like to join the volunteer team, please contact Angelina Linden or Karen Dadds who would be delighted to tell you more about the group and how you can get involved.

Author: Karen Dadds