Audrey follows dream of helping people through hard times in life

May 18, 2023

COPING with the pain of losing a parent was the catalyst for Tallaght woman Audrey Brown to inadvertently kickstart a promising business venture, reports Maurice Garvey.

When her Mam Emily McKeown passed away in 2018, Audrey began making memory cushions for her Dad Archie and her brothers – the material derived from her dear mother's clothes.

"I also sewed and crafted and being ‘good with our hands’ runs in the family, so without patterns or too much planning, the cushions were made from my heart," said Audrey.

"I was encouraged by friends from the Sea of Change choir to show my work on social media and the response was fantastic.

"I then created my famous ‘Feck It Dolls’ out of an idea I had to help people going through tough times and launched them on my page.

I handmade and sewed 65 dolls in the four weeks before Christmas.

Audrey Brown

I even recruited my Dad who had great sewing skills learnt from his sisters growing up, and we said in the new year he would officially be on the payroll!"

Ultimately, this led to Bobbins and Robbins, an arts and crafts business where Audrey makes memory teddies and other assorted comfort products and services for clients.

Originally from Old Bawn, Audrey is a mother of three, married to Alan, and known for a Tallaght Person of the Year award for developing a swimming programme for ASD kids with Turtle Tots Ireland.

However, tragedy would soon strike the fledgling startup when Archie got covid and passed away after only four days in hospital on February 1, 2021.

"About three weeks after Dad passed away The Echo ran a lovely tribute to Dad and all his involvement in Tallaght over the years.

"A couple of pages on from this, there was an advert from Partas and Webnet Plus 1 for a Women in Business course and I took it as a sign from Dad to go for it properly and follow my dream of helping other people through hard times in their lives," said Audrey.

With a business ethos built around helping others, Audrey also recently completed Yoga Teacher training and is launching yoga classes in Tallaght to "give people an hour a week to themselves to switch off and look after both their body and minds".

"I am so excited about the Yoga classes and I think it's really important for people to look after themselves, especially if they have experienced a loss, or trauma or any kind of stress in their lives.

"Having a son with additional needs and losing Mam and Dad has really taught me that taking care of ourselves is so important."

For further details on Audrey's work, visit her Facebook and Instagram pages for Bobbins and Robins.

Her website bobbinsandrobins has not yet added Yoga details but she can be contacted at 085 1605066 for further information.

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