In February this year, motherhood support group, Happy Mama, marked its one-year anniversary with a party that has become synonymous with the times – a video chat!

Happy Mama was created by mother-of-two, Kelly Tyte, who is passionate about providing a warm, welcoming environment for mothers to bring their babies and share their thoughts and feelings with other mums.

Kelly, from Wistow, said: “After struggling with my own mental wellbeing when I became a first-time mum, I wanted to find a way of supporting new mums – offering them something I wish I had been fortunate to find – so I created a wellness group. It was a place where mums could come with their baby, sit and chat comfortably with other mums while being ‘looked after’ with tea and biscuits. It was a simple idea but one that grew organically very quickly.

“Once lockdown hit, though, we obviously had to adapt to the situation and started to offer weekly video chats. As more mums signed up, I invited different organisations from the community to offer their services, and I began a series of live Q&As to help spread the word.

“We enrolled the help of specialists, such as feeding and sleep consultants, and very quickly, Happy Mama was transformed into a networking platform. I was pulling in people that liked what we were doing, who understood what we were trying to achieve and shared our vision. We’ve now got a directory, so we can point mums in the direction of qualified professionals who are dedicated to specific services.”

Throughout the last 12 months, there have been limited opportunities for mums to meet face-to-face and allow their children to interact in a group environment. Despite the restrictions, Kelly and her confidante, Kayleigh Moore, undertook several baby development courses, which prompted the launch of a series of classes.

Kelly explained: “During lockdown, Kayleigh and I discussed ways in which we could take the next step, so we chose to sign-up to courses that introduced and explained baby development, such as baby massage and yoga. Consequently, we launched a couple of workshops for babies at different ages and stages, including teething and tummy time.

“We were delighted at the success of these. As soon as these classes were announced, they were fully booked, and mums were asking us to put them on a waiting list in case places became available.”

Currently, of course, the majority of these classes are on hold until restrictions are lifted, but some have veered onto a digital arena.

Kelly says she’s already “thinking bigger” and would like to launch events, possibly in the shape of mother and baby wellness retreats and picnics:

“Anything that may help and support the wellness of mothers in our community.”

Launching a business can be daunting, but Kelly is well-versed when it comes to creating something out of nothing. Emulating her father’s footsteps, who owns St Neots-based Insight Cordless Lighting, Kelly established a dancewear shop at just 21-years-old.

In two-and-a-half years, the business blossomed, and she seized the opportunity to move the company onto the High Street. Before giving birth to her first child, she sold the shop and went on to qualify as a dance teacher.

After the sale of her business and choosing to go in a different direction to the dance school she was working for, Kelly wanted to continue her love of dancing, while also thriving as a mother, so, in 2015, she co-wrote and launched Tiny Tots, a toddler and pre-school dance programme:

“Tiny Tots incorporates colourful props, instruments, ribbons and pom poms – everything children want – coupled with upbeat music and a different theme every week. Parents and children join in and have fun together!” she explained.

“Prior to the most recent lockdown and restrictions, more than 150 children were taught every week, so, even in that environment, I could still chat to mums. Ultimately, I just enjoy being there for mums and chatting with them, offering any support I can.”

For more information about Happy Mama, contact Kelly on Facebook or Instagram.