To celebrate Scottish Breastfeeding Week, Leisure & Culture Dundee is pleased to announce its participation in Breastfeeding Friendly Scotland, an initiative back by the Scottish Government and run by NHS Tayside. In a step towards fostering family-friendly and inclusive public spaces we hope by joining the scheme it contributes to making parents feel welcome and supported in their feeding choices when visiting us.
Judy Dobbie, Director of Leisure & Culture Dundee, expressed her support for the initiative, stating, "We are proud to join the Breastfeeding Friendly Scotland initiative. This commitment aligns with our values of inclusivity and community support. We want all parents to feel comfortable and welcome in our facilities."
The Scottish Infant Feeding Survey 2017 identified that mums understood they could breastfeed in public areas however, almost half of the mums lacked confidence in doing so. When a parent sees the BFS logo displayed, then they know that staff are trained around laws protecting breastfeeding and they will be supported of their right to feed their baby on the premises and will not be asked to move or stop feeding their baby.
Brooke Cleary, a local mother and Breast Buddies Volunteer, shared her thoughts on the initiative, saying, "It's wonderful to see Leisure & Culture Dundee taking these steps. Knowing that staff are trained in the laws protecting breastfeeding I am made to feel welcome to feed my baby without fear or judgment. As a Breast Buddie Volunteer, I know this will make outings much less stressful and more enjoyable for many new parents in Tayside."
As part of the initiative, we underwent staff training to educate staff on the importance of breastfeeding, the legal rights of breastfeeding parents, and the best practices for creating a supportive environment. By equipping staff with this knowledge, we aim to ensure that parents receive understanding and assistance whenever needed.
Veronica Patullo, Project Officer, Maternal & Infant Nutrition with NHS Tayside said, “We are delighted that all Leisure & Culture Dundee premises have signed up to the Breastfeeding Friendly Scotland Scheme. This ensures all families throughout Tayside and beyond are supported to breastfeed when out and about in Dundee, enabling them to feel confident and supported to do so. For more information or to sign up to the scheme please contact Tay.breastfeedingfriendlyscotland@nhs.scot”
Sarah Ellis-Martin, Breast Buddies Coordiantor at HomeStart Dundee “Homestart Dundee’s Breastbuddies Peer Support Project is delighted to be working in collaboration with Dundee Leisure and Culture, to ensure that women and families are being supported through the Breastfeeding Friendly Scotland Initiative. This approach supports breastfeeding and good infant nutrition and helps parents to develop close and loving relationships with their babies. This has a massive impact for the families who are being supported by the project and allows women to feel comfortable knowing that venues are BFS and can feel confident feeding out in public, and whilst using public facilities.”
By joining the scheme, we hope to contribute to a cultural shift that normalises breastfeeding in public spaces. This initiative not only benefits breastfeeding parents but also enhances the overall inclusivity and family-friendliness of Dundee’s community spaces.
For more information or Breastfeeding Support in Tayside visit Breast Buddies Dundee on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BreastBuddiesDundeeHS/