Merseyside marks National Breastfeeding Week

MERSEYSIDE will be marking National Breastfeeding Week, from Monday, 17 June 2019, with a series of events organised by breastfeeding support workers across the area. The week will kick off with a walk organised by breastfeeding peer support group Liverpool Community Bambis, from St George's Hall to Chavasse Park, in Liverpool ONE, at 11.30am which is open to anyone who would like to show their support.

Sandra Davies, Liverpool's Director of Public Health said:- "We've made real progress in Liverpool encouraging new mums to choose breastfeeding for their babies and much of that is thanks to the commitment of Liverpool Hospital and Community Bambis as well as our health visitors. Breastfeeding for even a short period gives children the best start in life and National Breastfeeding Week is a chance for us to celebrate how far we've come and engage with expectant parents about how important it is."

Most new mums in Liverpool breastfeed (55%) compared to the average in England of 74%. At 6 to 8 weeks the Liverpool average drops to 35%, compared to 43% in the rest of England. However the number of Liverpool mums continuing to breastfeed has slowly been increasing over recent years. The walk will be followed by events across the Region each day:-

Monday, 17 June 2019...

► 9.30am to 10.30  - Breakfast, Kensington Children's Centre.

► 11.30a to 12.30pm - Breastfeeding Mums celebration, The Atkinson, Lord Street, Southport.

► 12.30 to 4.30pm  - Drop-in and baby massage. Home-Start hub, Wirral, CH43 9PH.

Tuesday, 18 June 2019...

► 9am to 3.30pm - Information stand with infant feeding team, Whiston Hospital, Knowsley

► 9.30am to11.30am Brunch, Granby Children's Centre.

► 10a to 12pm - High tea at Wavertree Children's Centre.

► 11am to1pm Alder Hey Hospital breastfeeding information stand and games (main atrium)

► 12pm to 1pm Widnes CC Breastfeeding Group celebration picnic, Ditton Library. Halton.

► 1pm to 3pm - Afternoon Tea, Childwall and Woolton Children's Centre.

Wednesday, 19 June 2019...

► 9am to 5pm - Information stand with infant feeding team, Whiston Hospital, Knowsley.

► 10am to 12pm - Breakfast and Free hand massage, Stoneycroft and Knotty Ash Children's Centre.

► 1pm to 3pm - Afternoon tea at Home-Start Knowsley L36 9TB.

► 12pm to 1:30pm - Afternoon Tea, Anfield Children's Centre Breast Friends.

Thursday, 20 June 2019...

► 10am to 2pm - Roadshow, talks and teddy bears' picnic at Home Start Hub, Wirral.

► 10am to 11am - Celebration event at Crosby Lakeside Sefton L22 1RR.

Friday 21 June 2019

► 9.30a to 10.30am - Celebration, Canning Road Chapel, Southport PR9 7SS.

► 10am to 2pm - Whiston Hospital Drop in

► 10m to 11am - Teddy Bears Disco, County Children's Centre.

► 10am to 11am - BF Support Sefton and Midwifery Event at May Logan Sefton L20 5DQ.

► 12pm to 2pm - Launch Bump to Bosom Buddies  - Meet and Greet at Mothercare, Prescot.

► 1pm to 3pm - Baby Café Celebration High Tea with Read and Rhyme, Netwon-le-Willows Library.

Saturday, 22 June 2019...

► 12pm to 4pm Community Fun Day, The Old Rough in Northwood, Kirkby.

Danielle Price, of Liverpool Community Bambis said:- "We're really proud of what we have achieved in Liverpool especially with how we have been able to engage with businesses across the city to ensure that they are breastfeeding friendly. National Breastfeeding Week is a great way for us to keep the conversation going and we'd encourage everyone to come along to our walk on Monday."

For further information during the week follow Liverpool Community Bambis on Facebook.

Call for Primary School National Curriculum to include climate change

AS the UK Government  announces that greenhouse gas emissions in the UK will be cut to almost zero by 2050, under the terms of a new plan to tackle climate change, a leading education company made up of former School Teachers has said the subject should be taught from the start of Primary School.

Currently, teaching climate change is restricted to chemistry and geography in key stages 3 and 4 when children are aged 11 to 14, but leading education resources company PlanBee has called for children to be taught the subject from the start of their School careers. PlanBee's Oli Ryan, a former Primary School Teacher said:- "It's the single biggest issue affecting children's futures... It looms over everything else, and we have a responsibility to prepare children from a young age as best we can."

With this in mind, PlanBee has developed an entire Primary School curriculum focusing on climate change and what children can do about it, including 'the new Three Rs': reduce, reuse, recycle. Oli said:- 'We owe to children to act now, in every aspect of their lives and especially in Schools. Here at PlanBee, we've been scratching our heads for some time, thinking about how we can support Primary Teachers by creating resources to help address these issues and prepare children for the future. We, like all teachers, want them to grow up to be confident, safe, socially responsible and capable of protecting our fragile planet.'

He said felt that while children shouldn't be shielded from the problems they will grow to inherit as adults, they shouldn't be left feeling anxious and helpless about them, either.

The Plan Bee curriculum covers 7 key climate change topics:-

► Ethical trading.

► Fulfilled lives.

► Ecosystems.

► Climate change.

► Water scarcity.

► Biodiversity.

► Finite planet.

The themes are explored in an age appropriate fashion, ensuring not only that children can develop a realistic understanding of both the problems they and others inheriting the planet face, but develop a clear idea of what they can do about it.

In this curriculum, the new 3 'Rs' are Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Children are tasked with finding ways to reduce waste by working together to reduce what is sent to landfill, both at School and at home. The lessons also challenge children to take action to help Britain's bee population survive and thrive at School and at home. In 'Children know best!' they generate their own ideas for ways in which they can teach adults to make more eco friendly decisions in their daily lives. "These ideas will help them to make a real difference, to have a positive impact, improving the lives of others around the world and to protect the planet, too," added Oli.

He also commeted that while children, understanding the urgency better than us, are now taking it upon themselves to save the planet, Schools owe it to them to prepare them for the future in an uncertain world, and make positive changes. Oli said:- "Teaching children about issues directly related to climate change should go hand in hand with learning about ethical trading, and the harm caused by unchecked, rampant consumerism. We have let children down; now they are taking it upon themselves to do something. But, there is still time for us to help them take action on climate change, by providing world class education on climate change, starting in Primary Schools."