Hinckley woman launches app for childless adults

Helen Gallagher says she hopes to help people forge connections

A woman has drawn on her own experiences of coming to terms with not having children to launch an app to help other adults who are childless.

Helen Gallagher, 45, from Hinckley, Leicestershire, said she had hoped to start a family but "time ran out".

She said she had launched her app - called Happy and Childless - to help people forge connections with other people who are childless.

She said: "So many people have inspirational stories."

Ms Gallagher told BBC Radio Leicester: "About five years ago, I found myself separated from my husband and facing a childless life.

"I felt really deep sadness, grief, regret but, at the same time, I believed I deserved to be happy.

"I set up Happy and Childless, which started as a blog, then turned into a podcast, then I set up a life coaching business to support other childless people.

"The app came about because connection is a huge thing that helped me move forwards."

'Real passion'

She said the app was designed like a dating or friendship app and allowed people to filter other users by location, interest and their reason for being childless.

"Finding people who understand you is so key when you are childless," Ms Gallagher said.

"Even though you can be in a huge community of friends or family, it can be a really isolating place to be because people just don't understand the mixed emotions of being childless.

"It was a childhood dream of mine that I was going to have children but time just ran out.

"I ended up being single at 40. There was sheer panic, there was the sadness of the lost dreams.

"I see so many women and men struggling with being childless. I had a real passion to share my story in the hope it will help other people."