Single Mums Business Network

I founded the SMBN (Single Mums Business Network) in 2019, following my own journey as a single mum trying to make work work with childcare barriers, and facing barriers to finance in business, and homes, given my status and adversity. I was busy fighting for change from the top, meeting with Prime Ministers, MP’s, speaking on the radio and TV and completely exhausting myself with fighting for flexible working, access to finance and equal opportunity to homes – it was very rewarding and I still have active members, who I support via our quarterly magazine and monthly zoom meetings.

We have made immense progress (along with other organisations), and these barriers have been significantly reduced, but, as I thoroughly enjoyed trips to London and speaking in the House of Commons, I appreciated the sanctuary of the Wye Valley, and, as news of AI (artificial intelligence) growth dominates social media, I longed to hold on to human connection, and dance. What we feel to music, and how we benefit from human conversations, and human massage healing, cannot be replaced, nor should it be. Lock down made many of us appreciate community and clean air like never before, and so, with that, for me, the Wye Valley Dance and Wellbeing Centre was the only way forward, where I can use my skills, experience, knowledge, plus insight into work barriers and finance for enterprise, to help others generate their own income via the ethical Labeada™ franchise model.

In 2022 I published ‘Breaking out of Benefits Jail’ to help others, and there are free webinars and signposting on the SMBN website ( for dads as well as mums).

You can learn more about the SMBN here

Written evidence submitted by the Single Mums Business
Network [SMBN CIC] committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/116597/pdf/

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