Smile Group

30/09/2026

We love to see friendships blossoming in our groups. These 4 Mums have met recently at our peer-support group in Crewe, and were headed for a walk around the park as we closed the session this week.

Being a new parent can be isolating - those 'is this normal?' or 'is it just me?' moments are so much easier with someone to share them with. This is one of the reasons we think peer-support is so impactful.

We know it can be daunting walking into a group for the first time, but our staff and volunteers will always offer you a warm welcome - you're welcome to just turn up. Or if you need a quick phone call first, or for us to come out and meet you on the carpark, we can arrange this for you.

If you want any more info about our groups, pop us a message on here, or email [email protected]

Oak Tree Family Hub, Crewe, Mondays 10am-12pm
Congleton Family Hub, Wednesdays, 10am-12pm
Ash Grove Family Hub, Fridays 10am-12pm

11/09/2026

Yesterday was Su***de Prevention Awareness Day.

We want you to know that:
💜Suicidal thoughts are common in those who are struggling with their mental health.
💜Having suicidal thoughts DOES NOT mean that you don’t love your baby, or that you are weak or selfish.
💜What they mean is that the load is feeling too heavy.
💜Talking about it to someone who understands can help.
💜Things WILL get better.

For urgent mental health support:

NHS 111 or 999 (for life threatening emergencies)

Samaritans 116 123 (webchat also available)

CALM 0800 585858 (webchat also available)

Shout - text 85258

For non-urgent clinical support, contact your GP

21/08/2026

Smile Group will be closed week commencing 24th August, reopening after the bank holiday on 1st September.

If you do require support during this time contact the 0-19 hub (0300 123 4058) or your GP. If you need urgent support, contact 111 (option 2) or 999 in the case of a life threatening emergency.

03/08/2026

💜 Can you help?

We are looking for volunteers to support us at our next Perinatal Comfort Zone programme, starting in September. The programme will run on Tuesday afternoons for 12 weeks, at Crewe Lifestyle Hub. Volunteers provide important support during sessions - holding babies and entertaining toddlers, allowing parents to participate fully in sessions within the same room.
A warm, empathetic natures is essential and experience with babies and toddlers preferred. Ideally you will be able to make a regular commitment throughout the duration of the programme, but even if this isn't possible, please get in touch.
DBS and reference checks will be completed.

For more info, email [email protected]

29/07/2026

During the month of August, our team will be taking some much deserved time off. As a result:
✏️There will be no Family Session or Anti Social Dads club running during August. We’ll be back to our usual weekend sessions from September.
✏️We will not be running any sessions the week commencing 24th August. This will be a whole service shutdown and staff will not be monitoring phones or emails during this week.

If you are in Crisis, please contact NHS 111 (option 2), or 999.

23/07/2026

✨Perinatal Comfort Zone ✨
We recently completed our Perinatal Comfort Zone programme at Ash Grove Family Hub. We were joined by 5 lovely Mums and their precious little ones. Over 12 sessions, we explored a range of topics & tools which can support emotional wellbeing during the perinatal period, including Understanding Anxiety, Flow State, Mindfulness, Self-Compassion and Challenging Unhelpful Thoughts.

Sessions were delivered by our specially trained Wellbeing Practitioners and supported by our Group Facilitator and Volunteer Peer Support Assistant, who did a brilliant job of keeping little ones happy, so their Mums could participate in the sessions.

We received some overwhelmingly positive feedback, which we'll be sharing with you another time, and were also touched to receive some lovely gifts.

Our next PCZ will run in Crewe, starting in September. If you'd like to hear more about this, drop us an email to [email protected]

22/07/2026

Our friendly peer-support sessions provide an opportunity to meet other parents in a safe, non-judgemental space. Our staff and volunteers are on had to offer a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, or even to hold a baby so you can drink a hot cup of tea. We welcome children under the age of 3, and current service users can bring older siblings during the school holidays. Please note that parents are responsible for supervising their children.

Sessions run from 10am-12pm, there's no need to book and you can pop in for as long as you like during the session times. We're at Oak Tree Family Hub, Crewe on Mondays, Congleton Family Hub on Wednesdays and Ash Grove Family Hub, Macclesfield on Fridays.

If you have any questions, or would like any more information, pop us a message or email [email protected]

20/07/2026

It's that time of the month again, where we invite local Dads to come along with their under-5s for a chance to meet other Dads, have some quality time with your littlies, and enjoy coffee and tasty food in a relaxed setting. If you've never been before - don't be shy, we promise you a warm welcome.

📍Where? Picturedrome, Macclesfield
🕤 When? Last Saturday of each month* 9:30-11:30
*Please note - we're taking a break in August, so there will be no Anti Social Dads Club on 29th Aug.

We'd love to see you there. If you have any questions, please drop us a DM or email [email protected]

07/07/2026

We're still looking for new volunteers to support at our monthly Anti Social Dads Club held at Picturedrome Macclesfield

Please email [email protected] for more information.

Fancy being part of something special?

Our volunteers help make a real difference to local families, and we're looking for male volunteers to join the team behind our Anti Social Dads Club. If you enjoy a good coffee, understand the chaos of parenthood and are passionate about supporting others, we'd love to hear from you.

Send us an email at [email protected] to find out more.

07/07/2026

Thank you to the fabulous Ildiko who came to our Perinatal Comfort Zone session last week and provides some well-deserved relaxation for the Mums who attend. The session focused on using our senses to regulate emotions and create calm. We so often do this for our babies- shushing, humming, stroking and patting are all examples. As adults we may choose to carry an aromatherapy roller with us, listen to our favourite music, or do some self massage. Knowing what calms and grounds us can really help us to manage feelings of anxiety and overwhelm. Let us know below what works for you 👇