Australian startup rebuilding “the village” for modern motherhood
A growing number of Australian mothers are seeking something many feel has been lost in modern life - a village.
Despite being more digitally connected than ever, loneliness in motherhood is on the rise. Studies suggest up to 80–90% of new mothers experience feelings of loneliness, often driven by a lack of community support and reduced in-person connection.
This quiet isolation can have a significant impact on mental health, confidence, and relationships.
A personal experience of isolation
Sydney-based founder Brittany Bloomer knows this experience firsthand.
After becoming a first-time mum while living overseas in Estonia, she found herself without family, friends, or a support network - navigating a new culture and language, with no easy way to meet other mothers.
“It was one of the loneliest periods of my life,” she says.
In response, Brittany organised a simple coffee meet-up with a handful of local mums. What started as a coffee meet up with 7 mums quickly grew into a community of over 400 expat mums - many of whom described it as a lifeline during early motherhood.
From grassroots community to national movement
After returning to Australia, Brittany continued building community - this time among mothers in the Southern Highlands. What began as small, local meetups quickly grew into a thriving network of thousands of mums, connecting through picnics, pram walks, and shared experiences. Across these gatherings, thousands of women have formed real-life friendships, highlighting a clear and growing demand for genuine, in-person support.
This work builds on Brittany’s broader experience in community-building. Prior to growing communities amongst mothers, she spent nearly a decade founding and growing Pound Paws - a nationwide animal welfare charity that transformed how Australians connect with rescue animals through large-scale events and digital platforms. That same foundation of fostering connection, belonging, and real-world impact now underpins Villagehood’s mission to rebuild the modern-day village for mothers.
Introducing Villagehood
This Mother’s Day, Brittany will launch Villagehood - a new free community app designed to help mothers find their village locally.
The geo-based app connects mums based on location, making it easy to:
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Discover other mums nearby in their neighbourhood
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Join or host local meetups
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Attend activities like pram walks, coffee catch-ups, and events
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Build meaningful, real-life friendships
Villagehood sits at the intersection of technology, wellbeing and social connection - responding to what many describe as a growing “friendship recession” among adults.
As offline-first social models like run clubs and community meetups gain momentum, Villagehood applies the same thinking to motherhood: helping women find connection in real life, at a moment when isolation is most acute.
Villagehood has been built in-house alongside Brittany’s brother - a former tech lead at Shopify and Soho House London - combining community-led design with scalable technology.
Baron Bloomer’s background in building scalable apps and community / B2C platforms played a key role in shaping Villagehood’s technical foundation. Having worked on platforms used by millions, he brought a clear design philosophy to the project: technology should reduce friction, not create more of it.
Instead of infinite feeds, performative profiles or constant notifications, Villagehood focuses on a small set of intentional features - geo-based discovery, simple event creation, and low-pressure prompts that make it easier to say yes to a coffee, a walk or a picnic nearby.
“The goal was to design a platform that supports real life, not replaces it, scalable to the masses” Baron says
The result is a platform that combines top tier engineering with a deliberately soft user experience - designed to grow suburb by suburb, allowing communities to form organically without losing the intimacy that makes them meaningful.
Bringing the village to life
The BETA app is already live, with more than 1,000 mums in the Eastern Suburbs, actively engaging on the platform and helping shape it through real-time feedback. Meanwhile, thousands more across Australia are on the waitlist - eager to find their village.
To mark the official launch, Villagehood will host a Mother’s Day Picnic at Centennial Park on Monday 4th May, bringing together 100+ mums for a morning of connection, support, and community.
Designed as a real-life expression of “the village,” the event will feature:
- A beautifully styled picnic setting beneath the trees
- Calm, sensory-friendly music for babies
- Wellness-led activations including doula support and sound healing
- Gifting and brand experiences for mums
- A curated space for connection, conversation, and shared motherhood
The event reflects Villagehood’s core belief: that meaningful connection happens offline — and that motherhood is transformed when women feel supported in real life.
A mission to change motherhood
“Motherhood was never meant to be done alone,” Brittany says.
“But for many women today, it feels that way. We’re trying to rebuild what used to exist naturally.”
My goal is simple:
“To make sure no mum goes into motherhood feeling alone - because having a village around you can change everything.”
