24/06/2026
How did Dots Tots come to be? We get asked this a lot! 🐞
We love this question because honestly, the story of how we got here is what makes this group so special to us.
Dots Tots was founded in November 2023 by a local mum who'd had a less than great experience at a baby group and wanted something different. She visited Dot-Teas Café, a beloved little community hub in Belper, with her mum, and between them and the café owner Donna, the idea of starting something new was born. She took the leap and Dots Tots held its very first session that November.
When we eventually rebranded, we made sure to hide two A's in our ladybird's design as a nod to our founding mum and son duo who started it all. A little detail but one that means a lot to us. 🐞
As often happens, life moved on and mums went back to work. Thea found the group in July 2024 in much the same way many of you did, looking for her people. Megan and Georgia followed not long after and the three of us became good friends. When the original members moved on we kept showing up because we simply didn't want it to end.
Then in May 2025 Dot-Teas Café closed its doors. Donna, ever the community champion, helped us find a temporary home at the Royal British Legion in Belper and has continued to share our group around ever since. We'll always be grateful for everything she did for us.
The space at the RBL was cosy but a little small for our growing group. It was a challenging time for all of us personally too, but Georgia and Megan kept things ticking along with real dedication and the group kept going.
Then something lovely happened. At the end of 2025 a member of the old Dot-Teas community mentioned us to Rethink Mental Illness, The Derbyshire Recovery and Peer Support Service, who got in touch with us out of the blue. With their support and funding, all three of us got together, changed the day, rebranded, bought new toys and found our current home at Strutts Community Centre in Belper. Dots Tots as you know it today has been running from Strutts since early 2026.
We're so proud of how far this little group has come, from a conversation in a café to a proper community. We hope to keep going for as long as families in Belper need us. 💛
Supported by The Derbyshire Recovery and Peer Support Service (Rethink Mental Illness).
