Community groups and local establishments in Chesterfield are working to ensure mothers can feed their children in a safe and welcoming environment.
An initiative has been launched by the University of Derby, who have announced they are opening their doors to offer a free and friendly breastfeeding support group. The drop-in sessions will run from the 15th of September on the first and third Thursday of the month, between 10:30am – 12:00pm at the Chesterfield St Helena campus.
Whether you are expecting a child, are new to parenting, or are further down your parenting journey- all are welcome. The group will be led by experienced breastfeeding supporters, who are trained and supervised by Breastfeeding Network Derbyshire. They will provide non-judgemental support and information for families attending the group.
“It’s great that the Community Chesterfield Project has enabled us to work with the University of Derby in this way.” Says Alexandra Dilkes from Breastfeeding Network Derbyshire. “It’s a wonderful venue, centrally located and easy to get to.”
Free refreshments will be provided, as well as a selection of toys to entertain the little ones. There is plenty of public parking available within a 2-minute walk of the venue but none on Campus.
“I am so glad that we were able to bring Breastfeeding Network Derbyshire back to the University of Derby in Chesterfield, they make such a big difference to parents – particularly in the early days of being a parent. It’s thanks to the University that we have been able to offer the group such a fantastic venue.” Says Jennifer Raschbauer from Community Chesterfield.
Over the last two years, local volunteers from Breastfeeding Network Derbyshire, known as Feeding Together Bolsover and Chesterfield, haven’t let the pandemic stop them supporting families. They have been providing remote support and running regular ‘Parent in the Park’ walks at Poolsbrook Country Park.
The organisation will also be running sessions at Staveley Healthy Living Centre and Bolsover Children’s Centre. To find out what exciting things they’ve got coming up, check out their Facebook pages (@Bolsoverbfgroup and @bfnderbyshire).
Meanwhile, community hub and café, Monkey Park has announced it has retained its ‘Breastfeeding Welcome Here’ status once again.
The organisation has gained recognition from Derbyshire County Council, which commends businesses who actively support staff to make premises welcome for mothers to breastfeed. This can have a positive impact on making women feel able to breastfeed in public.
The Council says taking part in the initiative also provides a number of benefits for businesses, including:
- attracting families by making them feel welcome, they will, therefore, be likely to stay longer and spend more
- breastfeeding mums are also likely to return time after time to venues that they feel comfortable in
- improved customer service
- providing good publicity
- attracting new customers
Valerie Wilkinson , operational manager at Monkey Park community hub, said; “Monkey Park is once again pleased to be recognised as a Breastfeeding Welcome café. This means nursing mothers won’t ever be asked to move-or leave. We strive to be an inclusive and welcoming space for everyone. “
“We love to support our local community, and if we can help make parents more comfortable in our space when feeding their little ones then we are extremely proud to be recognised for this achievement.
“We hope our cosy café is a safe space for all parents to nurse their little ones, but if anyone would like more privacy when feeding then we do have a separate room where the blinds can be drawn for extra privacy and comfort if desired.
“Our staff will always offer nursing parents a glass of water as we understand that feeding your infant can be very thirsty work. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to our cosy and friendly café, and we hope we can make your visit enjoyable and comfortable.”
Monkey Park, Community Chesterfield and University of Derby support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.
