Family
Magazine
Essential information for families
Things to Do - Childcare - Education - Parties - Helplines - Antenatal - Postnatal - Support - and more
The Family Grapevine is a wonderful resource for families with children from pregnancy to teenagers. We have been printing free local magazines since 1995!
Each magazine is packed with information for families and businesses. Find your local one using the menu above.
Meet Our Editors
Shirley Towle
When I had my first child it was not initially the happy, life-enriching experience I had hoped for and I certainly didn’t look or feel like the radiant new mums in the magazines! After years of being at work I found myself lonely, isolated and suffering from postnatal depression with no idea about where to go or what to do with my new baby or how to meet other new mums. Some years later, while looking for a business opportunity, I came across the Family Grapevine and it was a real ‘light bulb’ moment! I knew from my work with…
Kate Fenton
I joined the group in September 2018 after seeing the advert for a new Editor in the Summer edition, which came out in my daughter's book bag from school. Having worked in Marketing and Communications for 20 years and now having children of my own, I thought that this was a perfect match for me! I'm passionate about this area, as believe we don't get the recognition for all of the fantastic family events and child friendly activities we have. From the green field of the Downs to the blue seas of the coast, we have a huge amount of…
Elizabeth Wickenden
I had been working from home doing just a few hours a week for about 3 years whilst my 2 children were both very small. I then joined the Family Grapevine and a few hours a week suddenly became an awful lot more hours a week and I needed to learn a whole new set of skills. My first issue came out in July 2017 and I found that having a semi-proper job plus two small children was just about possible to cope with, and was mostly really interesting and fun, and something that the children could get involved in…
Laura Bademosi
I have just joined the Family Grapevine group. I left the corporate world in 2014 to be a stay at home Mum to my two daughters and now the youngest is about to start school I am excited to be embarking on a new challenge. I've always used the magazine to find the best classes, events and days out for our family and now I'm really excited to make the Guildford, Woking and Spelthorne edition an invaluable resource for the community. The fact that I can do something really worthwhile without missing out on time with my own family is…
Katherine Daniel
My background is in the travel industry. I spent 20 years working in various tour operators, travelling the world and having a great time! However it didn't work terribly well with a young family and so I cast around for another career. Quite by chance the Mid Sussex Family Grapevine was recommended to me as a great place to advertise to families. At that point I realised that there were many other Family Grapevines and it was possible to buy a franchise. The rest they say is history. I published the Eastbourne, Wealden & Lewes edition for 9 years and…
Elaine Wake
I am so excited to join the Family Grapevine and start working again after a number of years away from a desk raising our three children under 7 yrs, (including twin boy and girl). After nearly 30 years working in the international destination marketing arena promoting both US & Canadian locations including Illinois, California, South Carolina, Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Ontario and even the beautiful country of Mauritius, I put away my suitcase when I was then blessed with my own family. Now my new career begins with so much relevance to my own family life, helping to highlight information and…
James Wetz
My wife and I joined The Family Grapevine at the end of 2017 having been avid readers of the magazine. We had been looking at ways to achieve a better work / life balance for our young son, so when we saw the advertisement for the West Kent franchise we jumped at the opportunity. As working parents we have a good insight into the challenges facing families, we are therefore passionate about providing family friendly fun and information in one place. The Family Grapevine is a fantastic family to be a part of with amazing support, and a common desire…
Tina Teearu
I joined in 2004 having spotted an advert in the local Tumble Tots magazine. I realised immediately that there was a need for just this kind of information to be freely available in this area and I felt my skills matched up well with those needed to produce a magazine so I went for it. I'm a keen organiser, fast typist, love playing with graphics on a computer and above all I love working from home. I'd never sold anything in my life, but was willing to give it a try and with Head Office's software and help I soon…
Fran Stevens
I am from Lancashire originally and moved to Reigate in the 80’s. As a newcomer, I was very grateful for the Family Grapevine when my children were small. I have since come to love the area – indeed what's not to like! Living on the doorsteps of London and the South Coast, our locale is also blessed as an Area of Natural Beauty dotted with oodles of sites of interest. Now my twins and their younger brother have fully fledged, I will have the time to enjoy nurturing and growing the Family Grapevine in East Surrey. The magazine is such…
Dawn Bew
I joined the group in 2012 having recently taken redundancy from the civil service after 15 years and wanted a job that fitted in better with my young family. A friend was selling the magazine and I thought it would be perfect! A new challenge, working from home with hours to suit my family. Three years on I now have magazines in two areas and absolutely love it. All the editors support each other including the very supportive directors who are very passionate about the group! Areas – Bromley and Croydon and Sutton What are you most proud of achieving as a…
Nikki Vine
When I moved to Reigate with my young son in 1995 I found it very hard to find the help and support we needed and also to find the various activities my son wanted to try, I thought other parents might be in the same position so a friend (Sheridan) and I went about collecting lots of information and we published it in the first Family Grapevine magazine. The feedback we got when the magazine was distributed was great. We realised that we were onto something good for all parents and for the local businesses trying to reach those parents.…
Genevieve Arlidge
The Grapevine has been my only publishing experience. I had an inauspicious start and was slow to get off the ground, but my skill sets are all the broader for it now. I am very happy with this path I've taken and don't foresee any further job change! I stumbled across a very early copy of the Family Grapevine in 1997 and answered an advert to join in and do a magazine in my area. This was exactly what I wanted. Working from home, being my own boss, but with support and reassurance in the background should I need it…
Charlie Sutton
I joined the FG group at the beginning of Sept 2018 after a chance conversation with a friend just after I had been made redundant from my senior management job. After 15 years in the corporate world, I knew I wanted to try something completely different and so grab the opportunity. As a mother to 3 teenagers, I know I would have loved something like this when they were small. My experience with FG so far has been amazing. My colleagues are so helpful and supportive and I can not wait to publish my very first edition in November! Areas - North…
Gil Oliphant
I have been working with The Family Grapevine in a number of roles from distribution, Desktop Publishing and as a caretaker editor for a number of areas. Since Rachel has left Southampton, Eastleigh and Waterside I have taken this area on as a caretaker editor and will give it my all as while I am in that role it is my area and I will be proud of it. Area - Southampton, Eastleigh and Waterside What are you most proud of achieving as a part of the Family Grapevine group? The varied roles that I have played in the Family Grapevine, helping…
Vicky Onah
I joined the Family Grapevine group in 2012 because I was looking for a self-employed career that would allow me to work from home while my son was little. Also, as a parent, I really enjoyed reading my local Grapevine and found it terribly useful. After my son was born I volunteered on my local NCT Committee and was editor of their magazine for about a year before deciding to apply to buy a Grapevine franchise. I love being part of the Family Grapevine Group. Everyone is very friendly and there's a lot of sharing ideas and information with other…
Local Magazine
The Family Grapevine is published three times a year in March, July and November. We take copies to nurseries, children’s centres, health centres, schools, sports centres, libraries, visitor attractions, supermarkets and many more places besides. You can also find the latest issue of each magazine online by selecting your local Family Grapevine using the search box above.
