Protected &
Progressing LIVE!
A Parenthood Journey Event
By Pregnant and Protected and Outlet Ten Discussions
Tickets: Adult - £10 | Kids - FREE
(Includes luxury tote bag filled with goodies worth £30!)
Saturday 3 October 2026 | 12-4pm | Citylabs 1.0, Manchester
What is Protected & Progressing Live?
Protected & Progressing Live is a parenthood journey expo for anyone thinking about having a baby, expecting one, on leave, going back to work, or supporting someone who is.
Four hours. One venue. Panel discussions, practical workshops, free legal advice, and a room full of exhibitors who actually understand what you are going through.
Brought to you by Pregnant & Protected, Primas Law and Outlet Ten Discussions, this is our first ever live event, marking one year of helping people understand and protect their rights at work.
It is not a lecture. It is not corporate. It is an afternoon where you can ask the questions you have been Googling at 2am and get a straight answer from someone who knows.
Who is this for?
This event is for everyone. Mums, dads, partners, grandparents, single parents, adoptive parents, foster carers, people who've experienced baby loss, and anyone supporting someone on that journey. Whether you're pregnant, trying, returning to work, or just want to understand your rights - you're welcome here.
If you have questions about employment rights, legal protections, flexible working, financial support, or simply want to hear from people who've been through it - this is your afternoon.
What to Expect
❋ Panel DiscussionsReal conversations with real people. Our panels bring together experts and people with lived experience to talk about the things that actually matter — your rights at work, the realities of modern parenting, and the support most people don't know exists. Each panel includes audience Q&A so you can ask what's on your mind.
❋ Practical Drop-In SessionsSmaller, hands-on sessions running alongside the panels. Turn up, ask your question, leave with something you can use on Monday morning.
❋ Expert Legal AdvicePrimas Law's employment team will be on hand throughout the afternoon offering free guidance on your rights during pregnancy, maternity, paternity, and parental leave.
❋ FreebiesEvery Ticket Comes With a Goodie Bag Worth Over £30
Your £10 gets you a luxury tote bag on arrival, packed with more than you paid for it.
Inside: merchandise, product samples, exclusive discount codes from our partners, and the plain-English guides from Pregnant & Protected that explain your rights during pregnancy, maternity, paternity and parental leave. The kind of information most people only go looking for once something has already gone wrong.
❋ Exhibition StallsBrowse stalls from charities, support organisations, recruitment specialists, and services that are genuinely relevant to your life right now. The kind of organisations you'll wish you'd found sooner.
❋ Food & DrinkThe venue café is open throughout the event and you are welcome to bring your own food and snacks!
Celebrating One Year of Impact with Pregnant & Protected!
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Celebrating One Year of Impact with Pregnant & Protected! 〰️
Your rights. Your journey. Your community. All under one roof.Protected & Progressing Live - Saturday 3 October 2026
Speakers & Sessions
Four Panel Discussions
Real conversations with real people. Every panel brings together experts and people who have lived it, and every panel ends with audience Q&A, so you can ask what is actually on your mind.
1. Trying for a Baby Behind Closed Doors Fertility, loss, and the parts of the journey nobody puts on social media. What your employer owes you, and what to do when you are carrying it all in silence.
2. Computer Says No: Navigating Return-to-Work Barriers, Flexible Working, AI and Discrimination Flexible working requests that get rejected for no good reason. Algorithms screening you out before a human sees your name. Know where the line is and what happens when someone crosses it.
3. The Cost of Carrying the Invisible Load, and Why We Need Male Allies More Than Ever The mental admin of running a family, who ends up doing it, and what changes when partners and employers start pulling their weight.
4. Coming Back Stronger After Maternity Leave Returning without shrinking. Confidence, progression, pay, and the conversations worth having before your first day back.
In conversation with: Joeli Brearley (Growth Spurt) | Kay Crewdson (Cradle) | Agnes Agyepong | Belinda Adams (Fertility Hero) | Claire Ingle (Fertility Matters at Work) | Clare Downing | Danielle Ayres (Pregnant & Protected and Primas Law) | Donna Patterson (Let's Talk Work) | Errol (Leeds Dads) | Evie Squires (Mother of All Jobs) | Heather Black (Supermums) | Katie McGill (Therapist) | Nathan Barnes (Dadtenatal) | Nichola Ramsden (Fertility Support Midwife) | Tom Phillips (Dad & Baby)
More names to be announced.
Practical Workshops & Drop-in Sessions:
Smaller, hands-on sessions running alongside the panels. Turn up, ask your question, leave with something you can use on Monday morning.
Feeding support with a qualified midwife (Abigail Latif) | Breathwork (Kelly Trowers) | Creative writing (Helen Bryce-Kirby) | How to return to exercise safely, a Pilates session with Lyndsay (The Manchester Mums Movement) | Coaching for mums in matrescence and beyond (Lisa Mabberley, Mother Nurture and Wild) | Health coaching for working parents (Ash Health Coach, The Healthy Professional) | Free legal advice clinics (Danielle Ayres, Pregnant & Protected)
A Full Floor of Complimentary Exhibitors:
Every stall is free to browse and free to talk to. Charities, support organisations, recruitment specialists, and services that are relevant to your life right now rather than in five years.
Anita, Traditional Birth Worker, Educator and Holistic Wellness Practitioner | Baby Sensory (Sarah Wilson) | Creative Calm Studio (Hayley and Rachel) | Fertility Hero | Hypnobirthing with Lizzie | IVF Clinic | Jewelinks (Sanaa Rulal) | Leeds Dads (Nathan and Errol) | Little Gems (Gemma Longworth) | Maddie's Miracle (Zohar Marer) | MOLO | Mothershift (Danielle) | Rebecca Lattin Photography | Rosanna Brown book launch | The Happy Crumb (Sam Sutcliffe) | The Manchester Mums Movement (Lyndsay) | The Motherhood Connection (Rachel Ree) | The Mother Rooted (Alexa Mellore)
More exhibitors to be announced.
Free Legal Advice All Afternoon
Pregnant and Protected and Primas Law's employment team will be at Citylabs for the full four hours, offering free, no-obligation guidance on your rights during pregnancy, maternity, paternity and parental leave. No appointment needed. No cost. No catch.
If you have had a flexible working request refused, been passed over while on leave, or just want to know where you stand, come and ask.
Get your ticket
Date: Saturday 3rd October| Time: 12:00pm - 04:00pm | Venue: Citylabs 1.0, Manchester
Tickets: Adults £10 | Kids free Includes: Goodie bag on arrival, food and drink available on site
Access: Wheelchair accessible, baby changing facilities, breastfeeding welcome, pushchair parking available
Getting there: Citylabs 1.0 sits on Nelson Street, just off Oxford Road, one of the best connected stretches of road in the city.
By bus: Services 15, 38, 41, 42, 42A, 43, 44, 111, 141, 142, 143, 157, X41 and X57 stop directly outside. By train: Manchester Oxford Road is the nearest station, around a 15 minute walk or a short bus ride. Manchester Piccadilly is also within easy reach. By car: On-site parking is available, with additional public car parks on Grafton Street and Hathersage Road, both a couple of minutes away. By bike: Cycle storage on site, with Bee Network bike docks nearby.
FAQs
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Do I have to be pregnant to come?
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No. This event is for anyone on the parenthood journey at any stage, and anyone supporting someone who is. Mums, dads, partners, grandparents, single parents, adoptive parents, foster carers, people who have experienced baby loss, and anyone who just wants to understand their rights.
Can I bring my children?
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Yes. Kids go free and are genuinely welcome. Baby changing facilities and pushchair parking are available on site.
Is the legal advice really free?
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Yes. Pregnant and Protected and Primas Law's employment team will be available all afternoon with no charge and no obligation. You will not be sold anything.
No. Come for one panel, stay for all four, or drop in for a workshop. The goodie bag is yours on arrival either way.
Do I need to stay for the whole four hours?
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What if I can only make part of the afternoon?
Is it accessible?
Can I breastfeed at the event?
Is there food and refreshments?
What if I can't afford the ticket?
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The panels run to a published timetable, which we will share with ticket holders in advance so you can plan around it.
Citylabs 1.0 is fully wheelchair accessible with step-free entry, accessible toilets, and lift access throughout.
Absolutely, anywhere you like. A quiet space will also be available if you prefer.
There is an onsite Starbucks and we will also provide free drinks and refreshments.
Get in touch at hello@pregnantandprotected.co.uk. We do not want £10 to be the reason anyone misses out.