Mothers and Toddlers

The Mothers and Toddlers Group was started in 1997 by Mrs Sonia Gillespie, with encouragement and support from the then minister of  Omagh Methodist Church, Rev Peter Good.  Some 20 years later she is still in charge and, with help form Mrs Irene Allison, each Monday  welcomes between 20 and 30 toddlers accompanied by Mums and Carers from 10.00 am to noon.   Once inside the children are free to roam about in a large safe space, playing with colourful toys, riding in trucks and busses or whizzing about in baby-walkers.  It is truly cross- community, providing a meeting place for mothers and toddlers who otherwise might never have met.   Friendships are formed with members of the group supporting each other through good times and bad.   Those who attend make a small contribution that covers the cost of their morning tea and coffee: all other income is generated by fund-raising activities such as craft fairs.  Efforts in this regard have been so successful that not only has the group been able to purchase all its equipment, but it has also been able to sponsor a primary school in Wenchi in Ghana, sending out in excess of £1,600 over a period of time. Beyond the undoubted good it does and service it provides, the Mothers and Toddlers group is a shining example of outreach and of what can be achieved voluntarily by willing volunteers.

Snack Time