March is a natural high point in the mothers2mothers (m2m) calendar, with both International Women’s Day (8th of March) and Mother’s Day U.K (10th of March). providing an opportunity to celebrate the power of women and mothers with our friends and partners. This year was no exception, as m2m co-hosted two special events and announced a new fundraising initiative—all while driving a month-long conversation on the importance of investing in women to accelerate progress.  

A room full of Wonder Women 

Guests enjoying the mothers2mothers Day Brunch.

Together with our friends at child care brand Tommee Tippee and marketing agency Good Culture, m2m hosted  a “mothers2mothers Day brunch” at luxury boutique private member’s club The Twenty Two on Wednesday 13th of March. Attended by around 50 ‘Wonder Women’—including actor and playwright Zawe Ashton, T.V presenter Laura Whitmore, singer Paloma Faith, and hair artist Charlotte Mensah— this was an important moment to reflect on how the power of mother has both powered the work of m2m and shaped our lives as individuals. 

Liz MacCuish and Jordan Mitchell, Good Culture’s co-founders, kicked off the event by reflecting on our decade-long partnership, highlighting that what unites us is our shared belief that great things happen not just when women lead but when women work together.  

Liz MacCuish, Anna Howes, Emma France, and Jordan Mitchell celebrating mothers2mothers Day at The Twenty Two.

Anna Howes, Global Marketing Director at Tommee Tippee, spoke next, emphasising the synergies between our work—“At Tommee Tippee, we really feel passionate about the idea that a thriving parent equals a thriving baby. m2m is built on that foundation, enabling women to support each other.” 

Emma France, m2m’s Chief Growth Officer highlighted how our work is inspired by an extraordinary network of local women living with HIV—community health workers known as Mentor Mothers—who bravely overcome fear and stigma to share their stories and experiences so that families in their communities across sub-Saharan Africa have the opportunity to be, and crucially stay, healthy. Emma also invited one of the attendees, TV Personality & GP Dr. Sara Kayat, who visited one of m2m’s programmes in the Eastern Cape in 2018, to share how her reflections of her visit have changed since becoming a mother herself. 

The event was an inspiring way to celebrate U.K. Mother’s Day, and provided a vital touchpoint to reconnect with friends and partners as we continue to advance our mission in 2024 and beyond. 

Celebrating International Women’s Day with The Future Plate 

We were delighted to join The Future Plate—a platform that seeks to elevate African and Caribbean cuisine and the people behind it, and that recently announced m2m as their charity of year—in hosting a stunning International Women’s Day celebration at the beautiful Woods Quay London, a unique events venue moored on the River Thames—the first event under our shared commitment to showcase the culture, creativity, and excellence of the African continent.

Chef Opeoluwa Odutayo presenting her menu to guests at The Future Plate and m2m’s International Women’s Day celebration.

Guests, who were all leading women in their fields—including music executive Linda Ayoola, artist Sara Shakeel, and creative studio / venture capital CEO Abena Mills—enjoyed a delicious menu designed and prepared by The Future Plate Chef, Opeoluwa Odutayo. Emma France, m2m’s Chief Growth Officer, also had the opportunity to share a few words about the power of m2m’s women-centred approach. 

Guests left bellyful, enlightened, and empowered to bring about change for women and girls around the world.  

Introducing The Mothers’ Collective 

To round off an exciting month full of enriching conversations about the powerful change that women and mothers are bringing to their communities, we were thrilled to launch The Mothers’ Collective—an initiative for businesses and leaders to come together and collectively invest in the power of women to accelerate the work and impact of m2m Mentor Mothers. 

The founding members include m2m Ambassador Chloe Gill, Kidswear Collective, A Jewellers, Anita’s List, and Blue Almonds. 

Find out more here or reach out to [email protected] if you’d like to get involved. 

The Mother’s Day celebrations are set to continue through May, when we celebrate Mother’s Day in the U.S. and many of the countries we work in. To keep up to date with m2m news from the frontline and events like this, sign up to our newsletter.