Confidence, Careers and Community – Successful Mums Lights Up Margate

On a sunny day in March, we brought Successful Mums to the seaside and Margate didn’t disappoint.

Our Find a Job You Love career event, hosted at the brilliant ARK in Cliftonville, welcomed 40 local women at all different stages of their return-to-work journey. It was a powerful day of career inspiration, confidence building and community connection.

From the moment the doors opened, there was a real buzz in the room. Women from Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and beyond came together to explore flexible job opportunities, refresh their skills and rediscover their career mojo.

The event was packed with support and inspiration, including:

• Career advice and CV guidance tailored to mums

• Tips on where to find flexible and part-time roles and how to connect with employers

• Live talks from local mums who’ve successfully returned to work

• A panel discussion covering wellbeing, menopause and balancing family life

• Networking with employers offering real jobs on the day

• Information about free training courses to help attendees retrain or upskill

So why do events like this matter? There are thousands of women in Kent currently out of the workforce, often due to caring responsibilities, low confidence or the lack of flexible jobs. Events like ours aren’t just about finding work. They’re about rebuilding confidence, creating choices and reminding women that they’re not alone.

And the results speak for themselves.

Within just two weeks of the event, two women had already secured new jobs. Kat is now working part-time for the NHS as a KMPT Recovery Facilitator in Thanet, co-facilitating workshops for adults navigating recovery.

Sarah started a flexible role in health and social care with Home Instead, supporting local residents with compassion and building a career that fits around her family.

Both women credited the event with helping them update their CVs, meet supportive employers and gain the confidence boost they needed to take that next step.

“This event helped me believe I could do something meaningful again and now I am. Hearing Emily from the NHS talk really encouraged me to apply for this role.” – Kat

“It was the first time in ages I felt seen and supported and it led straight to a new job!” – Sarah

And it wasn’t just the mums who felt the impact, local employers were just as inspired by the energy and talent in the room -“Attending the Successful Mums event was a great experience. We connected with several interested women and are thrilled to have welcomed Sarah to our team in a flexible role – Kirra, Home Instead

“This was an amazing way to engage with the local community and let them know about the many different roles in the NHS” – Emily –  NHS.

With 99% of those who gave feedback saying they wanted further support from Successful Mums, here’s a snapshot of what some of the amazing women had to say:

“Today has been an amazing confidence boost and I’m feeling more empowered”

“I thought it was great, I’m feeling more hopeful, I definitely need some training!”

“What an amazing experience to meet the Successful Mums Career Academy team! They gave me new ideas for how to move forward and rethink my career.”

And it wasn’t just the mums who felt the benefits. Employers told us:

“It was inspiring to see the range of support and ideas available.”

“I spoke to several women and have four follow-up volunteering enquiries – a great result!”

“Successful Mums has been a fantastic resource, offering encouragement and practical help to parents looking to get back into work.”

We couldn’t have done it without our amazing partners. A huge thank you to The ARK for being the perfect venue, to DWP and Thanet Council for their support and to our brilliant speakers and volunteers.

Most of all, thank you to every woman who came along, shared her story and supported others. You made this event so special.

We’ll be back in Thanet soon – because when mums come together, incredible things happen.

Keep an eye out, we run regular events like this throughout the year to support mums just like you.
We always share them across our social channels, so if you’re not already following us, come and join the community on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn. You never know, the next event could be just what you need to kick-start your next career move.