Committee Members - 2011-2012
Our President: Karen Holland
Drinking tea and chatting being two of my favourite pastimes, the Tuesday and Friday sessions at Mums and Tots quickly became part of my weekly routine when I joined up in 2007. I did actually get that from teaching English (my job before parental leave), but where else could I get an almost endless supply of jaffa cakes? It was an obvious conversion. Almost three years later, and with three toddlers in tow, I have taken on the role of Vice-President. You can see me every Tuesday and Friday at the meeting hall in Leguevin proudly carrying around my VP folder. It admittedly looks a bit too official, but it does a great job of concealing from the kiddies my stash of chocolate biscuits…
Our Vice-President and Webmaster: Sophie Tsui
Together with my husband and my son, I moved to Escalquens, south of Toulouse in June 2009 as my husband is now working for EADS-Astrium. We are coming from Portsmouth, UK, although I am originally from Cherbourg, Normandy. Our second son was born in March 2010 and we are now eagerly waiting for the arrival of our daughter.
Once a teacher, always a teacher can somehow summarise who I am: until a few months ago I was a full time Head of Languages in a challenging boys’ school. I had a bit of a reputation amongst my colleagues as being a computer-mad person (so much so that I am still helping some of them for the school’s website!!). So I guess it’s only natural for me to have volunteered to help with the Mums & Tots’ database and website!
Our Secretary: Alison Dowson 
Having had a great time living abroad before in Munich when the opportunity came up for my husband to work in Toulouse, we jumped at the chance. So in August 2010 we landed in a very sunny southern France with our 8 month old son Luca. Mums and Tots proved invaluable in providing a place for me to meet some new friends and Luca a place to play and interact with other children. I think being part of the new members team suits me well, with a love of chatting over a cup of tea (and a biscuit of course), recent experience of arriving in a new country and being a fairly new member of the Toulouse Mums and Tots group myself.
Our Vice-Secretary & Newsletter Editor: Sue Schneider
My son Lucas is now almost five, thus precluding me unfortunately from regular visits to the Lèguevin hall. I am therefore happy to serve as Vice-Secretary and as part of the Newsletter team (see below) as a way of keeping up with “what’s what at Mums & Tots” and of giving something back to this association that has given me so much. And with someone as efficient as Jane Lazarus as Secretary, I am sure that my new job will be quite “cushy”…
Our Treasurer: Penny Dickinson
I arrived in France in 2003 to step up the career ladder. Baby number one arrived 3 years later when I was welcomed into the world of Mums & Tots. As a first time mum I’m not sure how I would have survived without M&T especially the baby group… Returning to work part-time was a tough juggling act and convinced us that with the arrival of number 2 something had to change… Quitting office life has allowed me to improve our work life balance & at the same time throw myself wholeheartedly into all the Mum & Tots activities. Not looked back since really – not that I’ve had the time! Need I say more!
Our Database Administrator: Dominique van der Merwe
The universe had a plan for me when I decided to give living in France a go, back in the summer of 2008.
I found myself in Toulouse doing what I love, bringing on young show jumpers (horses), and also very quickly found myself in love with a born and bred Toulousain! Maxim (17 months) our son, followed not too long afterwards, and while I have the most amazing new family, mine is so very far away.
In the midst of winter and renovating a house south east of Toulouse, toddler to be in tow, I found Mums & Tots…..Like a shining light in our lives, M&T is so much more than a mums group. Max and I are part of this wonderful web of support, offering endless activities, singing, new friends for both of us, and most importantly an environment where my son is surrounded by English. All I can say is thank you for everything thus and let’s keep up the good work!
Our New Members Coordinator: Kerry Hudson
My husband was offered a role on a project in Toulouse for 3 years and we
jumped at the opportunity even though it meant I would be giving up my
career in Human Resources. My husband and I and our two daughters, arrived
in December 2010 and the first two months were challenging but we have no
regrets and have been extremely happy here. The expat community is a very
friendly one and I hope I can bring that same warmth and friendliness to
my role as new member coordinator.
Our Newsletter Editors
The current Newsletter Team, founded in 2008, consists of Emily Solans, Debra Bellon, Sue Schneider and Sohani Crockett. Though we all have quite different backgrounds, all four of us enjoy working with words.
Emily Solans 
As a lover of France and all things French from an early age, it was only right that I ended up meeting and marrying a Frenchman. I have now been living in France for eleven years, nine of which here in Toulouse, close to the city centre.
When I’m not looking after my two girls, Nelly (3) and Matilda (18 months), I exercise my brain cells (or what’s left of them after two pregnancies!) as a freelance translator. I discovered Mums & Tots when Nelly was a just few months old and haven’t looked back since. From marketing to book-selling to translating, my career path has always seen me “playing” with words. I really enjoy being part of the Newsletter Team and hope you all get pleasure from reading it.
Debra Bellon 
Working on the newsletter helps me keep in touch with my creative side, which has been sadly neglected over the past few years. Now I feel I’m devoting most of my creative energy to devising new ways to convince my toddler to take a nap or eat his carrots, so anything involving words longer than two syllables is a wonderful break for me!
Sohani Crockett 
A long-time Francophile, I studied French at uni, then journalism, and worked in London for a while before coming to Toulouse for a job in 2007. I met my French partner and had Betty in 2009 (yep, both in the same year!) and so now I am here for good. I love life in this beautiful region of France and the friends I’ve made through Mums & Tots. I’m lucky to now be a member of the ‘Mum’s the Word’ newsletter team – with many members contributing fascinating articles for each edition, it is always an excellent read.
Sue Schneider, our Vice-Secretary, is also part of this fantastic team.
Our Pregnancy & New Mums Coordinator: Jackie Alcock
I arrived in Toulouse in 2007 with 2 small children, and found Mums and Tots the first Friday I was here. I was so warmly welcomed, I immediately made some great friends who steered me through the essentials of settling here with small children. In 2009 baby No.3 arrived in a French Clinique, and thus qualifying me to host the Pregnancy group for Tots and Co! I’m now into my 3rd year of hosting the group, and although my pregnancy days are over, I love welcoming pregnant and new mums into my home each month for coffee and chat, and having an excuse to bake!
