One of Clackmannan’s newest services Bumps and All, has helped dozens of young families across the Wee County in only two months.  

‘Bumps and All’ was created to help provide a support network for pregnant women and anyone caring for children or babies within Clackmannan only. They have now become a county wide project with the moto “Let’s make caring for children and babies a little bit easier for each other” reaching parents and carers across Clackmannanshire. 

The goal was to establish a good family community within Clackmannan, but carers from out with the town asked about attending their “Cuppa and Chat” sessions as well as requested help with all the groups other provisions.

The group, founded by Agnes Neeson, originally worked out of The Bruce Lounge but have now relocated to the Clackmannan Guide and Scout Hall, since outgrowing the space.

They plan on organizing family activities that will be affordable for all families including remaining open during school holidays and having activities organised for older kids too. The ‘Cuppa and Chats’ initiative offers a warm, safe space for parents and carers to receive a little support from others in the same situation. Children are always welcome to the sessions and toys and snacks are provided for them.

Bumps and All provide carers with emotional support as well as “Grown out of – Growing In to” boxes with clothes and nursery equipment. 

People in the County have been extremely generous with lots of offers of donations and have allowed the group to already make an incredible 32 gifts of assistance to families within the Wee County in the 14 weeks it has been running. 

A heartfelt example of their hard work came during the festive period. On the run up to Christmas, a local girl who’d been through a traumatic experience received a very special visit from Santa Claus to help her “feel like a princess again” after her injury.

Agnes and colleague Laura Beedie gifted a wrapped present to a random child in Sterling Mills Shopping Outlet after it was donated to the group. The boy was delighted to receive an extra present from Santa Claus.

It is truly incredible what such a small group has achieved over such a short amount of time and is testament to the hard work of the volunteers and shows that people want to belong to family communities within the County. 

Bumps and All meet every Thursday between 9am and 11am in Clackmannan Scout and Guiding Hall. Any carers of children who live in Clackmannanshire are always warmly welcomed, as are their little ones.

Words by Ruaraidh Holden.