Key Facts:
- New app 'Villagehood' launches in Australia to combat maternal loneliness, offering free geo-based connection for local mothers to meet and build real-life friendships
- Founded by Brittany Bloomer following her own experience of isolation as an expat mother in Estonia, far away from Australia, where she successfully began building her community of mums.
- Studies indicate 80-90% of new mothers experience loneliness, despite increased digital connectivity
- The app focuses on practical features like local meet-ups, pram walks and coffee catch-ups, designed to facilitate in-person connections rather than online engagement
- App is developed by Baron Bloomer (brother) previously worked as tech lead for Shopify and Soho House London
- Already in BETA with 1,000 active users and thousands waitlisted, Villagehood will officially launch with a Mother's Day picnic event in Sydney's Centennial Park on 4th May
Sydney, Australia - April 2026
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:
Discover other mums nearby in their neighbourhood
Join or host local meetups
Attend activities like pram walks, coffee catch-ups, and events
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
To mark the launch, Villagehood will host a Mother's Day picnic in Sydney's Centennial Park on Monday 4th May, bringing together over 100 local mothers for a morning of connection, support, and community.
Designed as a real-life expression of "the village," the experience will feature thoughtful activations including doula support, sound healing, a curated nourishment table, complimentary self-care gifting, and personal styling for mothers navigating this transformative stage of life - creating a space where women feel held, supported, and truly seen. The BETA app is already live, with more than 1,000 mums 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.
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."
About us:
Villagehood is a geo-based community platform helping mums connect locally through real-time meet-ups, picnics, pram walks and shared experiences. Built to "bring back the village," Villagehood creates simple, meaningful ways for mothers to find support, friendship and belonging in their neighbourhood.
