2 June 2021

From the CNWL Camden Baby Feeding Team:

With it being Volunteers' Week (1-7 June), we'd like to highlight the incredible work of our volunteers here at the Camden Baby Feeding Team.

Since November 2020 our volunteers have been providing support in the Camden online groups for parents and have recently started leading our ‘Parents in the Park’ walking groups.

Our volunteers are peer supporters (parents who have lived experience of breastfeeding) and are trained by The Breastfeeding Network to provide mother-centred, non-judgemental support by listening to parents and providing them with the information they need to feed their babies. They receive regular supervision to support their practice and are eager to participate in training sessions to improve their knowledge.

When surveyed, our volunteers all felt well supported by the Camden Baby Feeding Team.

We are so thankful for the contribution our volunteers make to the service and are constantly inspired by their commitment to supporting other families in Camden.

Parents who have attended the online groups have said:

“I just want to say thank you to everyone, the BF team, the HVs and the volunteers. Having a baby in lockdown, esp as a first time mum has been super hard, but less hard when I knew that I could join the group once a week to get my questions answered and to have such lovely experienced and kind women to tell me that I was doing a good job (esp when I didn’t feel that way!!)”

“...it's specially helpful to have more experienced moms in the group who can provide advice to the new moms.”

“I have no family nearby, so having the support of the volunteers has been really great – someone else to comment and watch her grow and see her get chubby and it’s now like my community of other mums and has been really wonderful.”

Our volunteers feel that, through their experience with our team, they have increased their knowledge of infant feeding, gained experience, improved their skills and feel like they are giving something back.

They say:

“I made new friends with people I may never have crossed paths with other wise. I have gained confidence and learned new skills. It has opened up a new career opportunity that I hadn't previously thought of. I feel like I am making a positive difference to my local community.”

“I loved learning, doing something for myself, but the main one was helping mums. If one thing I said helped their journey to become just a little bit easier, I would be so happy. Even before Covid, I think mums should have more breastfeeding support (and all support generally) and I am so happy to help in a little way.”

“I have found huge satisfaction in being there for mums and offering support at what can be a difficult time. I enjoy meeting and working with the team, and their enthusiasm for the mothers they support. They are continually striving to do better and to seek improvement to their offering and it's so lovely to see and be a part of that.”