Manchester mum on the support that helped her break the cycle of stress and isolation

As we mark Stress Awareness Month this April, Family Action is shining a light on how powerful it can be when parents support one another; something happening every day through its Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities (EPEC) programme in Manchester.

Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities (EPEC) is a parenting programme that has already helped many families. The sessions are run by trained local parents and share practical, easy to use tips to help mums, dads and carers feel more confident, connected and supported, especially during stressful times.

For single mum Siobhan, the programme was far more than a course; it became the turning point she didn’t know she needed.
After years of putting her children first, losing jobs, and struggling with confidence, she says she felt “completely alone”. But everything changed when she discovered EPEC and trained as a Parent Group Leader.

Siobhan said:

I thought I was just signing up to help other parents, but it changed me too. I realised I wasn’t a bad mum; I was enough. Meeting other mums who understood me gave me strength I didn’t know I had.

Through EPEC, she found friendship, confidence and a new sense of purpose. Today, she co-runs parenting groups across Manchester, supporting mums who feel just as she once did. Her next goal is a career helping families in her community.

EPEC Manchester is built on a simple belief: that parents are the experts in their own lives, and that support rooted in shared experience is often the most powerful of all, es-pecially when stress and pressure start to build.

Tuyet Dickens, EPEC Coordinator at Family Action, said:

So many parents tell us they feel isolated or unsure of themselves, especially when parenting doesn’t look like they ex-pected. What makes EPEC special is that it’s led by parents, for parents. For example, when a mum sits in a room and hears another mum say, ‘I’ve been there’, something shifts. Confidence grows, connections form, and families start to feel stronger.