Finding Space to Breathe: A Mum’s Journey Through Time Out for Mums

Balancing work, childcare, and everyday life can be a struggle for any parent. For one local mum, joining YMCA Cheltenham’s Time Out for Mums group became a small but powerful turning point, offering a space to pause, reflect, and rebuild.

“It’s the only time in the week that’s just for me.”

For over two years, she has been attending the group run by Family Space at YMCA Cheltenham. As a single mum to three children, two teenagers and a toddler, her days are full. Between school runs, shifts at work, and managing the rising cost of living, life had become a constant balancing act.

The weekly sessions offered something she hadn’t had in a long time: a breather. While her toddler plays safely in the crèche next door, she joins other mums for a couple of hours of conversation, crafts, and wellbeing activities, a moment to focus on herself.

Support that makes a difference

When financial pressures grew and problems with benefits arose, the team at Family Space and Feed Cheltenham stepped in to offer extra support. Supermarket vouchers, food bank referrals, and free weeks at the community pantry helped bridge the toughest moments. Together, they also sat down to look at her monthly budget, identifying where savings could be made and exploring new options for help.

“They helped me see what I could change and where I could get help. I feel like I’m getting control back,” she said.

Recognising the strain of trying to stay afloat alone, referrals were made for professional advice, including support from the Citizens Advice Worker and St Giles Trust for one of her teenage children. These practical steps, paired with emotional support, created a sense of stability that had been missing.

“It’s not perfect, but I’m doing my best.”

This is not a story with a perfect ending. Life remains full of challenges, and the road ahead is still uncertain. But it is also a story of strength, of a mum showing up for herself and her children, and of a community walking beside her.

“It’s not perfect, but I’m doing my best. Knowing there’s somewhere I can go, people I can talk to, it helps so much.”

Building resilience together

The Time Out for Mums group is one of many ways YMCA Cheltenham supports local families, helping parents take time for their wellbeing while knowing their children are cared for. It is a place where small moments make a big difference: a cup of tea, a listening ear, a sense of belonging.

As an organisation, YMCA Cheltenham continues to empower families like hers to build resilience, find balance, and feel part of a supportive community.

If you would like to learn more about Family Space and the groups we run for parents and children, visit our Family Space page.

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