MotherBorn is bringing the village back to Kingsbridge

MotherBorn Collective is hosting an opening event this weekend, to celebrate their new home at 63 Fore Street, Kingsbridge. 

Launch event, Saturday, 14 November, 10am to 2:30pm. Everyone welcome.

Seven years ago, a handful of volunteers started a mum and baby group in a marquee at the back of Kingsbridge Family Church. This month, MotherBorn Collective CIC opens a home of its own at 63 Fore Street, offering feeding support, groups, classes and a welcoming place for parents, babies and families from pregnancy through the early years.

The new home will be officially launched with an open day on Saturday 14 November, from 10am to 2:30pm. Local families, grandparents, professionals, those who have offered support in any way, and anyone curious about the new home are invited to drop in, have a look around, meet the team and have a cuppa.

Steph doing a feeding demonstration 

Why it is needed

• For generations, new parents relied on a village: family, neighbours and local services close to home. For many families in the South Hams, that village has become much harder to find.
• Spending on Sure Start, even with new government funding, is set to be less than a third of its peak, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (quoted in The Big Issue, July 2025). Up to 1,000 of England's 3,600 centres had closed or been drastically cut back by 2018 (University of Oxford, Unsure Starts), and Kingsbridge's own children's centre closed in 2016.
• The number of health visitors in England fell by 21% between 2016 and 2021. Caseloads exceed safe levels in 74% of local authorities, and some staff hold more than 1,000 children (UCL, March 2026).
• Almost two thirds of Integrated Care Boards in England planned real-terms cuts to perinatal mental health services for 2024 to 2025 (Royal College of Psychiatrists, May 2025).
• Up to one in four new and expectant mothers experiences a perinatal mental health illness, including postnatal depression and anxiety (NHS England).
• More than 66,000 women accessed specialist community perinatal mental health care in England in 2025, and demand is as high as ever (NHS England; Royal College of Psychiatrists).
• New parents are too often sent out into the world with little to no support. That is where MotherBorn comes in.

Steph Pope, Breastfeeding Counsellor, Director and co-founder of MotherBorn Collective, said: “When we started MotherBorn, we could only dream that one day we’d have our own place on the high street. It's taken a lot of hard work, community support and plenty of making do along the way!

"Having our own home means we can offer so much more to local families, and create somewhere people know they can turn to for practical support, reassurance and a bit of company. We want it to be somewhere people feel comfortable coming through the door, whether they need help with feeding or just fancy a chat.”

A mum and baby enjoying a MotherBorn class

MotherBorn Collective is a community interest company run nearly entirely by volunteers. It was founded by Steph Pope, a breastfeeding counsellor and mum of two who struggled to find skilled feeding support herself and trained to offer it, and Caroline Bright, who spent eight years running Pop-In and Play at Kingsbridge Family Church. Read more about Steph's story below. 

They are joined by fellow director Laura, a cardiac intensive care nurse, who trained as a Breastfeeding Peer Supporter not long after attending the online version of Nurslings with her then newborn daughter during the covid-19 lockdowns.

What began in the marquee moved 18 months ago into the old children's centre at Kingsbridge Primary School, a shared space that was never quite fit for purpose. The new home is the first space the team can call their own, and it has been made possible by a community crowdfunder that raised £5,000 alsongside other donations from organisations and individuals.

What MotherBorn offers

• Feeding support: one-to-one help with breast, bottle or combination feeding, at home (within half an hour of Kingsbridge) or in the clinic room at 63 Fore Street. All feeding choices are supported, without judgement.
• Antenatal support: Preparing to Breastfeed classes from 36 weeks, and Bump and Brew socials for parents-to-be.
• Weekly groups: Nurslings, Inbetweenies and Roamers for babies and toddlers, with drop-in feeding and sling support twice a week.
• Classes: baby massage, mum and baby yoga, tummy time and baby first aid, led by local experts.
• Equipment hire: hospital grade breast pumps, TENS machines and slings, at low cost for families who need them.
• The shop: pre-loved maternity, nursing and baby clothes, alongside goods from local makers who are parents themselves.

Around 60 families come through the doors every month on average, and most come back again and again. Groups are either low cost, or run on donations, so that cost is never a barrier to coming through the door.

Who it is for

MotherBorn is open to mothers, parents and families in Kingsbridge and the surrounding villages, from pregnancy through the early years. Partners, grandparents and carers are welcome too.

Opening hours

The new home is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 2:30pm. The launch event runs from 10am to 2:30pm on Saturday, 14 November. Outside opening hours, the main upstairs room and the office are available to hire, helping to fund MotherBorn's work.

The premises cost around £1,500 a month in rent and utilities alone. MotherBorn's income comes from private feeding sessions, shop sales, room and office hire, and donations. The team is also welcoming local businesses who would like to sponsor MotherBorn, with monthly Community Partner packages from £30 and bespoke partnerships for businesses that want to do something different for their employees.

Steph Pope (left) and Caroline Bright (right) 

Steph’s Story

MotherBorn began with one mum’s experience. When her eldest son was born, Steph Pope struggled with breastfeeding and found very little meaningful support, piecing together whatever help she could from the NHS and private services.

She was determined that no new mum should have to work that hard to find it, so she started Nurslings, a local group for parents to come together, share experiences and realise they were not alone. 

During Covid, with a nine-week-old baby and a toddler, she saw first-hand how isolating early motherhood can be. She left a career in financial services, trained as a breastfeeding counsellor and began offering private support to local families.

Together with Caroline Bright, who had helped run Nurslings from the start, she brought everything together as MotherBorn. “It’s about creating the kind of place I wish I’d had when I was a new mum,” says Steph. “Somewhere you can walk through the door, whatever kind of day you’re having, and know that you’re welcome.”

And this is exactly what she has done with Motherborn!