When the realisation that we’ll never be a parent hits we often find ourselves hiding away from society because no one else appears to be childless. We can’t see ourselves reflected within our friendship circles, family or social media.
But what if your world can expand in a way you never imagined?
Today we will share what it meant to us to join online support groups and why we made the decisions to step up and become an admin. How the groups we joined gave us understanding, a sense of freedom and normality, a place to express ourselves without fear of judgement.
We’ll talk about how our grief was embraced and given the freedom it deserved and needed to be expressed. How we now see a brighter future, have regained our worth and feel gratitude for the connections and friendships we have made.
DATE: Saturday 19th September
TIME: 2.00pm BST - Find your timezone HERE
REGISTER FOR THIS WEBINAR HERE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Grab a drink, get yourself comfy and keep the tissues near by, just in case.
Please note: Whilst the panellists will be recorded, your camera and audio will be turned off. If you are unable to attend the webinar live, you DO NOT need to register to watch the replay. Just subscribe to the World Childless Week YouTube channel and you’ll be notified when new recordings are added.
PANELLISTS
Stephanie Joy Phillips - UK
World Childless Week Founder
Stephanie spent a large part of her twenties in an abusive relationship so took the contraceptive pill to prevent a child being born into that situation. In her
early thirties she met her husband to be but they didn't try to conceive until nearing forty. At the age of 39 she was told by an unsympathetic doctor "if he manages to get you pregnant it is highly unlikely you'll carry full term". She knew in that moment, she would never be a mum.
In 2016 Stephanie Joy Phillips founded Childless Path To Acceptance, and in 2017 after realising there was no national recognition of the childless community Stephanie had an idea for a global awareness week and six weeks later World Childless Week went live for the first time.
Stephanie lives in Worcestershire with her husband and two rescue cats, Storm and Tea-Cup. She enjoys gardening, arts and crafts, a good book, dining out and relaxing in front of the television with a puzzle book and one of her two cats snuggled up beside her.
Samantha Walsh - UK
Sam is the founder of The Non-Mum Network (NMN), a vibrant community and website dedicated to supporting women without children (childless and childfree) and raising awareness of the unique challenges they face in both their personal and professional lives.
Sam is childless due to infertility: two decades of gynae hell included failed fertility treatments, multiple surgeries, premature menopause and, eventually, hysterectomy. Her marriage buckled under the strain, and she found herself starting over and alone in her late 30s, surrounded by happy families.
Sam is the author of Behind the Smile, a deeply personal (and as yet unpublished!) exploration of infertility, identity, and the societal pressures faced by women who don’t follow the traditional motherhood path, whether by choice or by circumstance.
Sam has appeared on various podcasts and radio shows including BBC Woman’s Hour and Radio 5 Live, shared her life experiences in the Metro and as a HuffPost blogger, and has been featured in The Daily Mail discussing the social and workplace dynamics that affect non-parents.
Palo Barker - UK
I am an experienced online community administrator, moderator and advocate, supporting people living with chronic illness, loss and childlessness. I have administered and moderated several childless-not-by-choice and health support
communities since 2021, including setting up Chronic Survivors Childless Warriors. My initial involvement in supporting chronic illness sufferers was in-person from 2001, and have contributed to online support forums for more than 20 years.
I am passionate about creating safe spaces where people can speak honestly about experiences that are often difficult to articulate, without judgement or pressure to “move on”.
My own journey through childlessness, chronic illness, disability, grief and major life challenges has given me a deep understanding of resilience and the many different ways people survive, adapt and ultimately thrive.
My guiding belief is simple: We save ourselves by saving others, and we save others by lighting the path for those that come after us.
