Meet Kate.

Ex-teacher, solo Mum, business founder. Also gospel choir singer, allergy sufferer and beachgoer.

Kate's career in early education has taken her from Locality Lead for Play to Deputy Head in a Nursery School to founding her own company, and she's passionately dedicated to nurturing creativity and social skills in young learners. She seamlessly (ahem) blends her professional commitment with the delights of raising her spirited daughter, Ivy. They say business never sleeps, but after three and a half years with a 'low sleep needs' daughter, Kate thinks 'business' has got it easy.

Some of Kate's non-negotiables – being outdoors, dancing (one day Ivy will lose her fixation with spinning and Kate will be able to move her arms again), spending time with friends, someone else cooking dinner (offers accepted, please email). Kate loves being on her own for five minutes, especially when it involves sleep or swimming. She loves summer festivals and dancing barefoot in grass.

Despite being a full-grown adult, Kate is super serious about silliness, and remains a steadfast advocate for play, creativity, and storytelling. Motherhood has deepened her understanding of the transformative power of nurturing imagination in children, indeed she often uses a story to head off a tantrum she can see hurtling down the tracks. A great distraction technique! (Just don't tell Ivy).

If the last few years have taught Kate anything, it's that parenting is a unique and ever-changing beast, a wholly consuming challenge, not to be underestimated. But, she's also been reminded that sometimes the simplest things are your best friends in challenging times. A simple prop, a bit of imagination; a bit of communication, a feeling of connection. So, Kate continues to spread the message of joy and enrichment through embracing play and storytelling, hopefully inspiring others to see that a full life of family, fun and enriching work can be forged with the most basic and fundamental ingredients.

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