The People Behind The #MumBag Campaign

Unless you have been living underneath an Instagram rock recently you would have seen the very clever #MumBag campaign sweeping through everyone’s accounts, revealing photo after photo of the contents of Mum’s handbags for the world to see.

Why? Well, I had the pleasure to speak to the very lady herself who starting this whole idea and ask her exactly why this all began.

Hi Annis, thank you so much for answering a few questions about your #MumBag campaign that is supporting PANDAS charity and is sweeping through Instagram Land grabbing the attention it deserves. For anyone that hasn’t yet seen the campaign what is it and why did you start it?

So, the #MumBag campaign is an online fundraiser to raise awareness and cash for the Post Natal Depression charity PANDAS foundation.org.uk  - It’s asking for Mum’s and Dad’s to share a picture of the contents of their #MumBag or #DadBag on social media with a text to donate number.

The idea came about after I read Marie Kondo’s book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying up where she suggests emptying your handbag every day and thanking it for its hard work.

I emptied mine and was shocked by the contents – and hit by the realisation that I was a toyshop/ chemist/ café/ bank/ entertainment system.  I thought that I can’t be alone in this so started to look inside other people’s bags on my blog to satisfy my own nosiness and purge my own scuzziness.

I asked a friend to take part who said, “OK I’ll share the shame.” And that was my light-bulb moment. I thought ‘there is no shame in that bag’. We lug it about to sustain our small people. And in the same way there is no shame in PND and mental illness, it is not baggage to be ashamed of.

What made you chose the National Charity PANDAS?

When I started to write about my experience of PND, I started to think about what would have been helpful when I had it, or realised I’d had it. The answer to that would be some support from someone that was not a doctor or someone who knew me.  So I did a little research and came across them. I approached them with the idea and they gave me the thumbs up and support to do it.

Adele recently spoke out about her PND (Post Natal Depression) which is absolutely brilliant in helping others speak out. Do you feel it is important that we make people aware of Pre and Postnatal mental illnesses and it is spoken about more freely without it being a taboo subject?

Absolutely. We are the first generation with so many platforms to share and discuss ideas and problems. And with such a strong Mama presence online at the moment who are not afraid of #keepingitreal and being warts-and-all, now, more than ever, talking about PND should be easy and un-judged.

If anyone wants to join in and share the contents (scary thought) of their handbag online, what do they need to do?

Remember – it’s not scary, it’s easy and – there’s really #Noshameinit

Here’s what to do:

1. . Tip/ display the contents of your Mum bag on the floor and take a photo
2. . Post it on Instagram and/or Facebook
3. . Make sure you include all of this blurb:

I’m sharing my #MumBag (or #DadBag) to help Mum’s with Post Natal Depression

Text PANDAS £3 to 70660 to donate to Pandasfoundation.org.uk

#showusyourmumbag too TAG MATES HERE

#PND #noshameinit #showusyourmumbag #showusyourdadbag

#PANDASfoundation #itsoknottobeok @pandas_uk @mrsyellowblog

Text costs £3 plus network charge. PANDAS Foundation receives 100% of your donation. Obtain bill payer’s permission. Customer care 01691 664275 Charity No 1149485.  

4 . Remember to text a donation

5 . Encourage as many people as you can to do the same by tagging them in your post

What is the most important item in your handbag that you simply cannot live without?

Phone, purse, pompom, pombears and pampers.

Thank you so much and please keep up the good work!

Thanks for having me!

Campaigns like this are so easy to start but you need a great idea that will catch on and the backing of a great charity like PANDAS foundation.

I was lucky enough to ask Tillie Mabbutt, Media and PR Officer from the PANDAS (Pre and Post Natal Depression Advice and Support) foundation what she thought of the #MumBag campaign and what effect it has on raising awareness for an important topic like PND.

 "The impact of a campaign such as #MumBag can be huge for a small charity such as PANDAS. They have the ability to bring together vast numbers of people to show, that no matter what is going on in life, we all have similarities.  

The #MumBag campaign really shows that we all carry 'stuff' around with us that may seem insignificant or unknown to others, but actually can display a little slice of who you are and what you have been through in life.

We rely solely on donations and grants, so by encouraging people to donate, means we have that financial help to us continue our much used services.

But it also flags us up to parents and their families who may be struggling alone at the moment and don't know where to go for help.  That means we can provide the support that is needed, where it’s needed."

Tillie also shared the contents of her #MumBag with the world!

So, it would only be right that I also share my bag too.

Please keep this amazing campaign going on its travels around the social media world and please donate to the very important charity PANDAS. The more we talk about taboo subjects the more they will become normal. There is no shame in the way you are feeling.

For any more details please go to www.mrsyellow.com or @mrsyellowblog on Instagram and Facebook to speak to the lovely Annis.