Lindsey will be presenting to the County Council today in Winchester today. The meeting starts at 10 am and Lindsey will speak at 10.30 with her part of the meeting over by 11 am approx.If you aren’t able to attend the meeting, you can still watch the meeting via the live webcast (details below).
Lindsey is one of the 100 women who have written to the heads of service about the funding crisis for 8 breastfeeding drop-ins in North Hampshire that have been grant funded for two years followed by interim funding from maternity services and then Public Health. MP Maria Miller will also be speaking representing the dozens of her constituents who have written to her.
There is no confirmed funding now beyond March which means the drop-ins have just 12 weeks to run. This does not affect the Winchester drop-in at Lantern’s Children’s Centre but does affect Andover (2 per week), Kingsclere, Chineham, Tadley, Whitchurch, Overton and also Eastleigh which is delivered by the Borough Council but also grant funded till March.
Breastfeeding Funding Crisis in North Hampshire
Hi I’m Lindsey Lawman, mum to Patrick who celebrated his first birthday on Sunday. You might already recognise us from a video doing the rounds on Facebook this week – it’s had 8,000 views in under 24 hours! The video is a plea for support from the breastfeeding community in Hampshire – those who do it (mums and babies), those who support them, and those who feel passionately about it.
The Hampshire Breastfeeding Counselling drop-in service is in crisis – funding ends in just 12 weeks’ time, meaning that all eight drop-ins across North Hampshire will close. On Thursday 7 January 2016 (TODAY!), I’ll be presenting at a County Council meeting to appeal for sustainable funding. The meeting starts at 10am, and I’d love to have you support. Anyone can watch from the public gallery at the county council offices in Winchester, or you can log into the live webcast at home. It’ll also be recorded, so those people who are interested but can’t make it can catch-up on the County Council website.
Maria Miller, the local Conservative MP will also be addressing the Council on the subject, so here’s hoping they sit up and listen! The Basingstoke Gazette will be covering the story, so let them know how the service has helped you, or how you feel about the funding crisis via their Facebook or Twitter pages. Lots of mums, organisations and health professionals have already pledged their support, so we’re hoping for an enthusiastic crowd to show the council just how much the service is valued in our community.
For more details on Hampshire Breastfeeding Counselling, drop-in times or to get in contact with a breastfeeding counsellor, visit their Facebook page.
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