This time last week the original #MumsOnAMission descended on Manchester for Save the Children’s ‘Make Childcare Work’ Campaign Day were we shared our stories and heard from other single mums from across the country about their struggles under Universal Credit.
It is fair to say we could ALL relate to each other’s challenges especially with childcare under the controversial and disastrous welfare Reform!
Attendees were treated to a talk on how to contact and lobby your local MPs and the ‘Power of MP meetings’ by Save the Children’s Senior Government Relations Advisor, Katie Howe.
As a result of contacting her local MP, our very own #MumOnAMission Vikki Waterman is off to meet Will Quince, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Family Support, Housing and Child Maintenance.
Hopefully she will have a much more fruitful and positive outcome than my previous letter from his predecessor Justin Tomlinson, now Minister of State at the Department for Work and Pensions.
My favourite letter I have received in recent weeks came personally from Rt Hon Frank Field (my personal Hero!) who is Chair of the Influential Department of Work and Pensions Select Committee who has supported my fellow Mums and I who gave evidence and really put the Government through their paces on the issue of ‘Universal Credit: Childcare’
Alana Avery, Senior Project Manager at On Road Media gave a masterclass in dealing with the media, networking and clearly getting your Campaign message and objectives across focusing on ‘compassion’ and ‘justice’.
It’s fair to say that, our Manchester Campaign Day was a HUGE HIT! Many of the mums that attended saying they felt ‘EMPOWERED’ and ‘INSPIRED’ so much so, many have already contacted their local MPs and one mum in particular send her e-mail whilst on the train back to London!
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all the new ‘MumsOnAMission’ who have since joined the ‘Make Childcare Work’ Campaign #MumArmy
As I always say, “If you want something done, ask a mum”. Well what I actually say is “If you want S*** DONE, Ask A MUM!” - lol or Single Parent!
There are no further Campaign Days as such booked in for the near future, but still opportunities for parents who weren’t unable to attend the Campaign Day in Manchester last weekend to get involved. You simply need to email:
ukcampaign@savethechildren.org.uk
A member of the Campaigns team will be in touch!
Save the Children will continue to support parents involved with the campaign and struggling with their childcare under Universal Credit to meet their MPs.
For those who may not want to get directly involved but still want to show their support, you can do so in a number of ways. Firstly, e-mail their local MPs independently to inform them of your struggle with Universal Credit and Childcare, and Secondly, continue signing & sharing my #MumOnAMission petition
In other super exciting campaign and petition news, I’ll be delivering my petition to Number 10, meeting MPs and ministers in the summer!
With Teresa May’s resignation announced yesterday, it will be interesting to she who will be behind that famous or perhaps more infamous black door. Having heard Esther McVey has thrown her hat in the race to be considered the next MP - I’d say it would be safe to say that’s NEVER happening. If she couldn’t handle the heat of Universal Credit and four courages Single Mums that took Parliament by storm, yep that would be us, running the country is way beyond her Credentials!
So let’s get SIGNING, SHARING and join the 102,669 supporters so far - so we can make a REAL impact on the new Prime Minister when I deliver it to Downing Street!
Thuto & Kayan xx