Today marks 6 months since this campaign met with the commissioners at Blackpool Public Health, to warn them about the potential consequences of ending the breastfeeding support project in Blackpool, and to urge them to reconsider their decision.
In that time we have met with both of the Blackpool MPs, we have spoken at a meeting of the elected representatives of the council, our campaign has been discussed in the House of Commons, we have met with the leader of the Council and other council representatives, and we have had messages of support too numerous to count. Many positives.
However we have also heard and continue to hear many harrowing stories of families in Blackpool whose early feeding journeys have been blighted by the lack of available appropriate breastfeeding support. In our opinion this is not acceptable. And so we continue to work hard, behind the scenes, to ensure that all levels in the council understand what it is that Blackpool is currently missing.
We do not blog here about every single meeting or conversation because we have felt that movement from Blackpool Council was in a positive direction. However, it has now been six months since that first meeting, with our next meeting scheduled for the new year when it will have been a full seven months since the end of the breastfeeding support project, and still we seem no nearer to our objective of reinstating some kind of breastfeeding peer support programme for the families of this Town.
Today we have once again been told that in the Council’s opinion, Blackpool families do not want a breastfeeding peer support service, and so we ask that those of you reading this in Blackpool who would like to share your views on the subject, complete our form, here.