Charity Pancaldi Loxley: My start up journey

Class of 2021 graduate Charity and her business partner, Mariana, are on a mission to lighten the load for busy parents by creating a fully functional app that eases the pressure of finding family-orientated activities, resources, and outings in your local area.

How it started…

I graduated in 2021 with a BA (Hons) in Criminal Justice and Criminology after studying part-time over six years. I studied with University of Essex Online as a mature student, having previously worked as a lay chaplain at a youth prison and feeling compelled to gain a theoretical understanding of the justice system and societal factors that can lead to offending.

Despite six years seeming like the endurance approach to complete a degree, studying part-time allowed me to continue working and during that time I also got married and had two children.

Business development

Waddle is an app, offering a one-stop shop for finding, reviewing, recommending, and booking, for parents with decision-making fatigue.

The idea for Waddle was conceived as the world adjusted to 'normal' life after the Covid lockdowns. Being confined to the house while working and providing educational stimulation for two young children had taken its toll and myself and close friend Mariana were feeling a sense of desperation to find creative group activities for our children to engage in. We began to discuss the lack of opportunities and made it our mission to find as many child-friendly activities in our local area as possible and get ourselves, and our children, socialising again.

We found that there were lots of activities going on, but most of it was found out about by word of mouth. We started an Instagram account called Mud and Magic Motherhood to share the local tips and places we were discovering. We quickly gathered a large local following demonstrating the need among local parents to get out and about. While the Instagram account was successful, we were unable to continue with it as hope when work commitments increased.

Fast forward to the end of 2023, work commitments had eased a little and Mariana and I felt compelled to find a solution, because of the understanding that getting out for many people with small children can be a lifeline. It was then that our conversations began exploring all the other information useful to parents, such as knowing which restaurants have a play area, which cafés have unisex baby changing facilities, where to find holiday clubs during school holidays, details of story time at the library, where to get breastfeeding support etc. We decided we needed an app that could do it all!

Earlier this year I was discussing our business idea with a friend who works at the University. He recommended getting in touch with the Essex Startups team, as they provide support for graduates up to 5 years after they've left. After reaching out, I signed-up to participate in the Big Pitch Workshops (with my youngest child in tow) and our idea quickly changed into a viable business opportunity.

How it's going…

The juggle is real and can be logistically and mentally challenging! I work part-time for a company that builds affordable housing in Kenya, have three children (ages six, four and one), and a start-up business. I am extremely lucky to have a rewarding job that offers flexible working, but being a parent is nonstop. I love being a mum and am extremely grateful for the opportunity, however, even when the children are at school or in childcare, the mental load of meals/washing/birthday parties/school trips/holiday plans/football matches/reading diaries/gymnastics competitions is always present.

My husband and I have created a supportive home environment, but I am aware that for many the family responsibilities are not equally shared. In the UK, it is typical for the primary care of children to fall to mothers, impacting their ability to return to full-time employment and maintain valued careers. According to a recent study by Forbes, parents were reporting spending an average of 359 hours annually on scheduling and organising for their children. With more than 50% saying they spend more time on the organisational, dull side of parenting rather than having joyful times with their children. Having this understanding of the challenges of modern parenting is what fuels Mariana and I to succeed with our business. Central to our mission is making it easier for parents to make plans that will enhance the experiences of the entire family. If we can alleviate some of the pressure parents face and the parental mental load in their everyday lives, we will have succeeded.

What's next…

After participating in the Summer Bootcamp with Essex Startups in June, we worked with the team over the summer to create our business plan. Our idea was fully formed when we began working with the team, but their support has allowed us to refine our finance model and consider options for scalability. Having deadlines to work towards certainly helped to keep us focused, as well as the feedback from the team who have been so enthusiastic about our idea from the start. The entire process was invaluable.

After submitting the final section of our business plan, we began preparing our pitch deck ahead of the Big Pitch event in October. This final stage of the process was intense, but also exciting. On the day of the event, it was great to witness the culmination of everyone's hard work and encourage one another to achieve their best. Regardless of the outcome at Big Pitch, we felt like we'd already won. However, Mariana and I were delighted to be announced as the overall winners and an award of £5,000 to allow our business to progress further.

The next step for us will be testing a prototype of the app with five users, to observe and get feedback on functionality, layout, and user experience. With the money awarded at Big Pitch, we have engaged with a team of developers and are excited about bringing the app to life ready for launch in Colchester.

Words of wisdom…

Keep going. Keep showing up. Consistency is key, in life and in business.

Being a parent has taught me that it's not always helpful to look too far into the future, it's more important to focus on now. Don't compare yourself to others, prioritise things that you're passionate about and that add value to your life. By doing this you remain motivated and naturally more determined to achieve your goals.

Find out more

If you have a potential business idea, or are interested in developing your business skills, find out more about the training, events and support Essex Startups offers to current students and recent graduates.

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