Council Signs Up to Breastfeeding Welcome Here Scheme
September 19, 2018
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council is pleased to be the latest organisation to sign up to the Public Health Agency’s ‘Breastfeeding Welcome Here Scheme’, publicly encouraging nursing mums if they choose to breastfeed their baby in any council facility across the Lisburn Castlereagh area.
Councillor Janet Gray MBE, Chair of the Council’s Environmental Services Committee, speaking about the scheme said: “All mums are warmly welcomed in all our facilities. The Council joined this scheme to encourage breastfeeding mothers to feel comfortable feeding their baby in a public space. We appreciate that some mums can stop breastfeeding early as they don’t feel supported when feeding the baby outside the home and we want them to know that the Council supports them.
“It is also part of the Lisburn Castlereagh Community Action Plan under the health & wellbeing theme to encourage better health for residents. Breastfeeding has so many health benefits, both for mum and baby. It reduces the risk of infections, coughs, colds and allergies in babies and breastfeeding mums are at less risk of breast and ovarian cancer and osteoporosis. We also want to support an increase in the levels of breastfeeding in Northern Ireland which is currently one of the lowest rates in Europe.
“By being part of this scheme the Council is accepting that mothers can breastfeed in all ‘dry’ areas of our facilities and at the poolside at the LeisurePlex. We have trained our staff to be supportive of breastfeeding mothers in our facilities and we will publicly promote and display our support in each of our facilities so that breastfeeding mums can be assured that they will not be asked to move to another area or stop breastfeeding in a public area.”
The Council facilities which welcome breastfeeding mothers include: Lagan Valley Island, Lagan Valley LeisurePlex, Dundonald International Ice Bowl, Grove Activity Centre, Kilmakee Activity Centre, Glenmore Activity Centre, Castlereagh Hills Golf Club, the Bridge Community Centre, ISLAND Arts Centre, Lough Moss, Enler Community Centre, Moneyreagh Community Centre, Ballyoran Community Centre and the Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum.
Barbara Porter, Health & Social Wellbeing Improvement Manager, Health & Social Wellbeing Improvement Team (Belfast and South Eastern Area), Public Health Agency added: “It is great to see one of the area’s largest employers taking part in this scheme. The Council, in partnership with the PHA, is encouraging Lisburn Castlereagh businesses to be part of this scheme through the local Invest in Health Profit in Business initiative. Breastfeeding mothers need everybody’s support and local businesses can play a part in improving health by being supportive and welcoming breastfeeding families.”
Local businesses including restaurants, cafes, supermarkets and hairdressers can sign up to this scheme online at www.breastfedbabies.org