‘I launched a post-maternity-leave mentoring scheme’

In October 2020, communications consultant Annie Abelman set up Mentor Mums, a voluntary peer-to-peer programme that supports women returning to work after maternity leave.

‘In my experience, most colleagues offer friends who have just had babies informal support when they return to the office after maternity leave. I remember returning to a busy role as head of communications after my son was born in 2016, but even with a supportive boss, it felt daunting, stressful and incredibly isolating. That gave me the idea for Mentor Mums; a network that matches mums who are returning to work with mums who have already returned to similar positions in the same profession. It can be such a disorientating time that I thought forming a more professional support network could really help. While I had more time during lockdown, I developed a website that went live on National Mentoring Day (27th October) last year. I promoted it across my online network and the response was amazing. Many mothers feel anxious, or like an impostor when they go back to work, and I thought that mums returning during the pandemic would feel this even more acutely. More than 100 women have now signed up to mentor or be mentored and the network is free to use. Mentors just have to volunteer their time for six one-hour one-to-one sessions. I’m proud that I’ve built something that harnesses women’s desire to support one another during this global pandemic that has been especially hard for working women.’

Visit mentormums.co.uk and follow @mentormums