Leeds mums launch new '˜hyperlocal' websites for city's parents

The mums have each taken on their own area of Leeds for the online family hub Mumbler, a localised information network which has 20 similar sites across the country.

The ‘hyperlocal’ websites offer families a ‘one stop shop’ to find out about classes, groups, activities, services, days out and more, on their doorstep.

Deborah Ward, from Cookridge, who worked in marketing until she had daughter Aoife, runs the West Leeds Mumbler website at westleeds.mumbler.co.uk. She said: “For me, nowhere had all information in one place. I’d have to follow different websites and Facebook pages to find things in my area. It was driving me nuts. It’s a massive deal to give up my previous job but I also needed something to fit around Aoife.”

She added: “West Leeds is an often overlooked area and there’s actually lots going on –including free events that are not widely known about.”Mum-of-two Alison Sheppard worked in healthcare before deciding to run the South East Leeds Mumbler (southeastleeds.mumbler.co.uk).

Fellow mums Anna Winter and Sarah Smith both worked in sales before taking on the North Leeds Mumbler (northleeds.mumbler.co.uk) and Wharfedale Mumbler (wharfedale.mumbler.co.uk) respectively.

The new Leeds websites are franchises created by owner Sally Haslewood, who launched the first Mumbler site in Harrogate in 2012, and follows a previously unsuccessful attempt to launch just one Leeds Mumbler covering the whole city.

Sally said: “Leeds is just so big – getting on for one million population. We wanted to make sure we did it right – creating communities and keeping it local, so our sites provide absolutely everything our users need.”