A MUM is turning old children's toys into a way of aiding mums with post-natal depression.

Heather Royan, a mother-of-three, has set up affordable children’s boutique and community hall to help reduce isolation and post-natal depression in new mothers’ in the local community.

Babes in the Wood Pre-Loved Boutique, in Bishopbriggs, takes donations of unwanted children’s goods, such as toys, clothes, and prams, and sells them on at affordable prices to families who need them.

Heather said: "At Babes in the Wood we are delighted at the response we've had from our local community; our shop is thriving with a steady flow of those wishing to donate items and with those looking to pick up some great quality pre-loved children's items at great prices.

As a social enterprise, any profits made are reinvested back into the business.

This pays for the running of the shop and the community hall, which offers support and classes for parents.

Heather decided to start Babes in The Wood Pre-Loved Boutique while teaching sensory classes to local parents.

She often met mums and dads with excess children’s goods and parents in need of affordable products.

Heather realised that by setting up a children’s boutique that sold donated items at affordable prices she could solve both problems, while reducing the amount of children’s goods going to waste.

To set up the boutique Heather accessed Ditto, a programme delivered by Scotland’s social enterprise development agency Firstport.

This gave her access to a handbook written by an established pre-loved children’s boutique, including a business plan and tips.

Ditto also gave Heather access to £5000 of start-up funding, helping her make her idea a reality.

Ditto, which has already worked with more than 20 start-up social enterprises across several local authorities, creates handbooks based on tried and tested business models, then works with entrepreneurs to replicate these in their local community.

Heather added: "We have exceeded all the targets we have set ourselves, allowing us to open our community room sooner than expected and offer our first set of Baby & Toddler Yoga classes, funded by the shop, which already is already fully booked."