Government funding for Starting Well Leicester

Media Release 

Leicester charities receive funding to help give babies the best start in life
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Centre for Fun and Families and Leicester Mammas, working in partnership as ‘Starting Well Leicester’ have been selected for a three-year grant from the Government’s Health and Wellbeing Fund, to reduce health inequalities amongst new mothers and give babies across the City the best start in life.
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The £330,000 funding focuses on mothers living in Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities and deprived areas, and will provide a joined up pathway of support complementing existing statutory provision. 

Through one to one and group support, Starting Well Leicester will:

• Offer antenatal classes to support with a healthy pregnancy and birth, helping to reduce the number of low weight babies and reduce levels of diabetes
• Encourage and support women to achieve their goals for breastfeeding their baby
• Help to increase new mums’ confidence, mental health and wellbeing, helping them to navigate the challenges of becoming a parent
• Provide support sessions on sleep, healthy eating, bonding and play
• Support teen/young parents and those at risk of isolation

Clare Mills, Children’s Commissioner from Leicester City Council’s Public Health team said: “This is a welcome beacon of light for Leicester, after an exceptionally difficult year for the City. New parents, especially pregnant and new mothers, have been hit really hard by the impact of the pandemic and I’m delighted to see a service that will provide additional support to families alongside the excellent work of Healthy Together. This is a very exciting project. “

Jayne Ballard, CEO of Centre for Fun and Families, said “Both Mammas and Centre for Fun and Families have been working hard during lockdown to reach and support families through telephone, social media, and digital meetings. This funding will enable the development and expansion of these services to reach even more people, and explore some of the research findings that suggest how women from minority ethnic groups have a poorer experience of maternity services and childbirth. We want to ensure that everyone who needs it can access high quality support and link with other parents, at this crucial stage in their baby’s life.”

Sally Etheridge, Programme Lead for Mammas said “It’s normal for new parents to worry whether they are doing a good job. Worrying about how much your baby sleeps, how they are feeding, how to help their development, and just coping day to day with the pressures of caring for a baby can really affect women’s mental health too. For parents whose first language isn’t English it can be difficult to know where to turn for support or even that support is available. We are looking forward to helping more Leicester families through the Starting Well Leicester project.”

To arrange an interview with Starting Well Leicester please contact Lindsay Woodward, Service Director for Centre for Fun and Families [email protected] or 07563 496886.
 
Notes to editors:

1. Centre for Fun and Families have been empowering Leicester families through their groupwork programmes since 1990  www.cffcharity.org.uk
2. Leicester Mammas have been supporting mothers in Leicester with feeding their babies for over ten years, since 2017 as part of Leicester NHS Trust’s Healthy Together Child Health Programme. www.mammas.org.uk
3. The Starting Well Leicester project is one of 19 funded projects across the country.
4. The Health and Wellbeing Fund is an integral element of the Health and Wellbeing Programme, part of a programme of government investment in the voluntary sector. The programme is run in a partnership between DHSC, NHSEI and PHE.
5. The Health and Wellbeing Alliance is a key element of the Health and Wellbeing Programme, the aim of which is to promote health equalities and reduce health inequalities across the country.