Breastfeeding Picnic 2011

Feel free to share this, probably adding details of your local picnic at the bottom. 

I have now had the article checked by Elaine and Morgan and have made changes accordingly.

The weekend of 18th and 19th June 2011 will see Breastfeeding Picnics being held across England and Wales. "But all picnics are breastfeeding picnics!" a friend said to me when I told her. "Yes!" I replied, "But, alas, not with legal protection." 

Feeding babies in public places currently relies on understanding and openmindedness as mothers have no real legal protection when it comes to feeding their babies whenever, wherever and with whatever is needed. The Equalities Act 2010 included welcome amendments stating that it is now unlawful to discriminate against breastfeeding mothers. Unfortunately, the fact that it is also possible to discriminate against, say, a mother and baby bottle feeding is overlooked; likewise, the consequences for the discriminator are not made explicit. 

The Breastfeeding Act 2005 for Scotland goes much further, however. It states that anyone who prevents a mother or carer from feeding milk to a child is liable to a Level 4 fine (currently £2500). Scottish law protects not only breastfeeding families but also those who choose to give artificial formula milk or cow's milk to their babies and children. 

In the same year as this act was passed in Scotland, David Kidney MP put forward a Breastfeeding Act for England and Wales. It was rejected. Because of this rejection, the Breastfeeding Picnics are being held as a demonstration to English and Welsh MPs that babies need to be fed when they are out and about with their mothers and that proper legal protection through a specific breastfeeding act is needed. 

That's the background. However, In addition to the politics, there is a lot of fun to be had! These family-focused events are a lovely way of getting together with like-minded people. Bring your children, of course, but also your partners, parents and friends. Bring bats and balls, bring cake to share, bring your questions and thoughts and views. Come and celebrate a normal, natural, beautiful aspect of parenting. Those of you who have never breastfed are also very welcome - after all, the law we are lobbying for is one which will protect all babies, however they are fed.

Breastfeeding Picnic 2011 - draft letter to MP as at 8th June

This is the letter I am sending to my MP, inviting him to the Breastfeeding Picnic 2011. It outlines the reasons for the Picnic as I understand them. Feel free to use the text as a base for a letter to your own MP, though of course certain changes will need to be made so please check carefully!

Dear Mr Lord,

On Sunday, 19th June, a Breastfeeding Picnic will be held at Victoria Tower Gardens, London , from noon to 3pm and we would very much like to see you there. Having seen your hospital campaigns, I am sure that this health issue will also be important to you. Breastfeeding babies protects them against many illnesses and research shows that a breastfed baby is nine times less likely to be hospitalised than one  who is bottle fed. As such, breastfeeding represents a major saving for hospitals. 

As you may be aware, Scotland passed a Breastfeeding Bill in 2005 that specifically protects breastfeeding mothers and their babies from being discriminated against and/or being asked to leave cafes, shops etc because they are breastfeeding. It also  details fines for those ho discriminate. An attempt to pass a similar bill for England and Wales failed in 2005 and breastfeeding mothers are having to make do ith the minimal protection offered by the Equalities Act 2010. 

Feeding on demand is essential for a successful breastfeeding relationship but it is sometimes jeopardised by women lacking the confidence to breastfeed in  public places. The Breastfeeding Picnic aims to raise awareness of the need to breastfeed in public with a view to having a new Bill created that will give women legal protection.

I very much hope you will be able to attend the picnic and look forward to meeting you.

Yours sincerely

The Pink Noise Art Appeal...from a Foreign Correspondent

On 22^nd February, 2011, Christchurch, New Zealand, suffered an earthquake that measured 6.3 on the Richter Scale. Here in the UK, there was shock as well as sadness at the news – New Zealand is part of the Western World! Natural disasters in New Zealand don’t mean death and homelessness, do they? Not when the houses are built properly, the government isn’t corrupt, anyway, they have “machines” that can predict earthquakes, they’ll be fine.... No. This natural disaster claimed 159 lives and left over two thousand people homeless. Those who still have homes have limited or no power, limited or no water.

But from New Zealand’s Darkest Day emerges a phenomenal sharing, community-driven spirit that has moved me infinitely.  I learnt a word this week, not a new one to most of you but new to me: whanau – the extended family, the word used over and over again to describe the people of Christchurch, brothers and sisters in need. Facebook’s pages are full of practical information, strangers sharing news about vital forthcoming power and water connections as well as supportive good wishes. Blogs, writing websites, all kinds of websites have stories of donations of blankets, clothes, toys, kitchen utensils, things that we all need, to those who have lost everything. The people of New Zealand are giving and giving. You lot on the other side of the world, down in the Southern Hemisphere on the two little islands, yes, you – you’ve put the rest of the world to shame.

The Pink Noise Art Appeal is a wonderful example of this sharing spirit. Pink Noise is New Zealand’s no.1 non-profit artist’s community and the Pink Noise artists have very nobly donated their own artwork for auction with 100% of the profits going to the Red Cross Earthquake Appeal. A Pink Noise member, Alana Moffat from Dunedin, came up with the idea. She said, “Pink Noise should organise a mass art auction...I feel so helpless sitting here in Dunedin and not being able to help.” Katie Robinson, helmswoman of Pink Noise, immediately seized the idea and rallied the members, most of whom felt just like Alana. Donations of artwork poured in and Trade Me had the auction up and running within thirty six hours of the earthquake and even agreed to generously waive the success fees. Today, eight days on from the earthquake, the first wave of artwork donations have been sold and the running fundraising total stands at NZ$6500. The auction is currently only open to those with New Zealand bank accounts but that hasn’t stopped dedicated people in Europe moving heaven and earth to bid via New Zealand friends.

The quality and variety of the work is incredible. Lorna Allan’s breathtaking landscape, the first item to be donated, has now sold for more than $550. While this is just under half its gallery value, Lorna is thrilled to have passed it on for such an excellent cause and has already donated another print.

A far cry from landscapes is an adorable little sculpture called Deano. He’s a tiny green dinosaur from the kiln of Pauline Johns in Wellington and you have until 11^th March to get a little corner all ready for him in your home!  Altogether now: “Awww....”

Bold and beautiful portraits from Auckland artist Emmaline Bailey have raised three-figure sums for the earthquake appeal. Bonnie Coad from Renwick has generously donated her colourful, sometimes experimental, but always inspiring art - two are still available to bid for! Alana Moffat has, of course, put her art where her mouth is and her thought-provoking paintings and gorgeous owl brooches are all there on Trade Me, waiting to be turned into material help for the people of Christchurch.

 The biggest fundraiser looks like it’s going to be bro’Town’s contribution: Ant Sang, bro’Town’s designer, will create a customised drawing of you as a bro’Town cartoon and all the cast will sign it! The latest bid stands at $620 - the icing on the cake for the charity auction that has brought together the whole spectrum of New Zealand’s artists.

If you’re an artist interested in submitting work for auction, please contact Katie Robinson on katie.robinson@clear.net.nz .The closing date for submissions is Wednesday, 9^th March. Those interested in bidding for the artworks have until 15^th March and can bid through Pink Noise’s Trade Me page: www.trademe.co.nz/pinknoise . All you need is a New Zealand bank account (or a friend with one!).

Please visit the auction page. Please offer up your work. Please bid for the artwork donated by New Zealanders, for New Zealanders and be part of the phenomenon that is the Pink Noise Art Appeal.

Charlotte Buchanan

Woking, UK

5^th March 2011

Mount Vesuvius

Tonight I am not where you thought I was. Tonight isn't night, it's morning; it's dawn to be precise and I'm on a train to Naples. Unable to get a seat, I'd been sleeping on the floor of the corridor train. Someone had thoughtfully given me one of the supplements from his newspaper to sleep on and it contained an article about Bob Dylan. The newspaper-donor wakes me up to show me Vesuvius through the window. The sky is red and the volcano looks like grey tracing paper rising from cardboard foothills.

We reach a station and some boys get on, they're about thirteen and they have a huge flask of coffee and a column of polystyrene cups. As the train wakes up, these juvenile entrepreneurs walk through it, selling strong, sugarless coffee to the stiff, tired passengers. The coffee is probably horrible but just then it tastes like the best in the world.

An hour later we reach Naples and the other world, the dawn world, recedes to make way for dirty blue skies and noise and cars and people. The thing is, that daytime reality is not what I remember.