Why We Built MumAlly

I became a mum in Oxford in the middle of winter. My son was born in January, and by February I had everything a new mum is supposed to have: a beautiful baby, a supportive partner, a nice flat, and a group chat with my NCT friends.

What I didn't have was any idea what was on in Botley that week, which of my NCT friends were free on Tuesday morning, or how to find the baby yoga class everyone seemed to know about except me.

The Problem Was Everywhere, But Invisible

Every mum I spoke to in those early months described the same experience. You know there are other mums out there. You know there are things to do. You just can't find them.

It's not for lack of trying. You've probably:

• Googled "baby groups Oxford" and got a list that was three years out of date
• Joined four different WhatsApp groups and can't keep up with any of them
• Asked in a local Facebook group and got 47 comments with conflicting advice
• Seen a flyer on a lamppost but missed the time and didn't write it down

The information exists. It's scattered across a dozen different platforms, none of which was designed for this.

What We Actually Needed

After months of piecing together information from WhatsApp groups, Facebook, local websites, and word of mouth, I started writing down what an ideal tool would look like.

It would show me what's on this week — not a general list, but activities that fit my baby's age. It would let me see which of my friends were going. It would bring together my local community, the NCT group, and the swimming class all in one place, without the noise of a general social network.

It would feel like having a knowledgeable friend who knows everything that's on and who's going — the kind of friend that most of us don't have when we move to a new area and have a baby.

So We Built It

MumAlly is that tool. A week view of what's on near you, personalised to your baby's age, with the social layer of seeing who else is going. No algorithms, no ads, no drama — just your village.

We're starting in Oxford because that's where I am. But the problem isn't unique to Oxford. It's everywhere that mums are piecing together their weeks from seven different apps and still feeling like they're missing something.

If you're a mum in Oxford, I'd love for you to try it. And if you're a mum anywhere else — we're coming.

— Founder, MumAlly