Kent businesses and organisations including voluntary, community and social enterprise groups can apply for a £1,000 grant from Kent County Council (KCC) to make their premises more breastfeeding friendly for customers.
The reminder comes during National Breastfeeding Week (18th – 24th September), whose 2023 theme is ‘Everyone has a part to play in helping mums to breastfeed’.
Many venues already provide safe and comfortable places for mothers to feed their baby while out and about in Kent; and now more cafes, restaurants, shops, hairdressers and health and beauty salons are among the places being encouraged to apply for funding to make it easier to breastfeed away from home.
Grants to help Kent become more breastfeeding friendly are being funded by the Start For Life programme.
Kent County Council’s Director of Public Health, Dr Anjan Ghosh, said: “Breastfeeding has valuable health benefits for both mother and baby, especially in the first few months.
“Women also have a legal right to breastfeed in a public space but finding safe, comfortable places for mums to feed their baby when they are away from the comfort and convenience of home really helps.”
Training staff to support mothers, and offering a family-friendly area where a mum can feed a baby while keeping an older sibling occupied with books, toys or drawing, are just two actions that can make breastfeeding easier.
Other adaptions businesses and organisations can make include:
- installing ramps for easy access for pushchairs and buggies
- introducing hands-free technology, such as a voice-activated app, for ordering services such as food or drink, and
- promoting breastfeeding resources including:
- putting up a #BesideYou sticker or poster to show all customers that you support breastfeeding mothers. Visit the We Are Beside You website for more details, or email the team directly at kentchft.infantfeedingteam@nhs.net
- joining the #BesideYou social media accounts including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts to let mums in Kent know that they are welcome to breastfeed at your venue
- visiting the Kent Community Health Foundation Trust’s One You Kent’s baby health pages, and
- the NHS Better Health Start for Life site.
For more information about supporting breastfeeding mums visit the We Are Beside You website.