Lottery windfall for Wigan charity helping mums and babies

Breastfeeding Together has secured £41,264 from the National Lottery to deliver a coronavirus community support project over the next six months.

It will allow the Wigan charity to support expectant mums, new parents and families during the pandemic.

CEO Elinor Halliwell said: “We are extremely thankful to the National Lottery Community Fund for this funding to enable us to continue to deliver key essential services to families, including supporting the most vulnerable within our community.

“Over recent months, due to the coronavirus pandemic, we have seen an increase in families contacting us needing both emotional and practical support.

“The funding will enable us to continue to support families in a variety of ways to meet their needs, making the help and support we provide to families free and easy to access 24 hours a day”.

The grant will pay for the reintroduction of a support line, which will run seven days a week from 10am to 10pm, along with a live web chat service operating every day between 10pm and 1pm and 7pm and 10pm.

There will be online one-to-one well-being and information sessions for pregnant women and an online parenting forum group available 24 hours a day.

Weekly online pregnancy support groups and drop-in infant feeding groups will also be help.

Breastfeeding Together has supported thousands of families from pregnancy, birth and beyond through peer support.

It saw a surge in the number of people seeking help with breastfeeding during the coronavirus pandemic, amid concerns about access to formula milk due to self-isolating and rationing in supermarkets.

But its contract with Wigan Council recently ended, when the local authority decided to provide breastfeeding support alongside other help for families through its Start Well scheme.

The charity is continuing to support parents and babies and seeking other sources of funding, with an online shop now open and supporters able to become “friends” of Breastfeeding Together.

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