MEDIA CITY CAFÉ and workspace chain, Ziferblat, is the first in the area to register with the B.O.O.B.S Salford awareness campaign ‘B.O.O.B.S approved‘, supporting mothers breastfeeding in public.
The aim of the campaign is to get 100 venues in Salford to sign up to the scheme, making that venue a ‘boobs approved’ location.
This enables mothers to feel comfortable, safe and confident whilst breastfeeding in public.
B.O.O.B.S (Be open on breastfeeding in Salford) are listing these venues on their ‘Boobs Approved‘ section of their website, which is updated regularly.
Also on this section, venues can choose to opt into the scheme.
We’re officially #BreastFeedingFriendly! The first venue in @MediaCityUK registered with @boobs_salford! Mums welcome ?! #Manchester #salford pic.twitter.com/opRwkqnqZE
— Ziferblat Media City (@ZiferblatMCUK) November 28, 2017
The B.O.O.B.S community is led by Kimberly Bond, who is also the managing director of the local organisation, Visit from the Stork CIC.
Kimberly stated that the inspiration to set up the B.O.O.B.S Salford movement stemmed from the increased attention breastfeeding articles in the Visit from the Stork magazine received, compared with other articles.
She continued: “I decided to use my position as the CEO of a Social enterprise and local organisation, to do some research into breastfeeding rates, find out what the real issues were for local mums and to see if we could find anything that would help increase breastfeeding in the area.”
After researching the topic, Kimberly discovered that mums needed more education about the realities of breastfeeding and needed more encouragement to breastfeed in public.
She stated: “Our campaign is not about ticking boxes for government statistics, it comes from the desire to help as many new mums as we can feel confident in the choice they have made and to be able to reach out for support when they need it.”
Branch Manager of Ziferblat, Abigail Brookes, stated that becoming breastfeeding friendly has expanded Ziferblat’s demographic and has made the venue become even more accessible to families.
Abigail stated: “People shouldn’t be restricted from leaving the house because they opted to do this natural thing. I think it is important that everywhere should allow it.”
She continued: “I think it’s really natural and is something all mothers should be able to do if that is what they have chosen to do. I think it’s a really positive display of modernisation with it being allowed in public places.”
All of the locations registered under the scheme will not turn away a breastfeeding mum and any mums who need to feed are able to come in to feed and not have to spend any money.
The venues are also all required to manage any customer complaints, rather than the mother having to deal with them.
Although it is illegal to prevent someone from breastfeeding their child in public, the scheme provides a ‘confidence boost’ to mums, who know they can feel safe when feeding in a boobs approved location.
However, despite a lot of progress being made, some people still claim to feel uncomfortable around women who breastfeed in public.
Abigail stated that she feels this is down to people being a bit “old fashioned” and “the uncomfortableness of the female body to some people.”
Do you think mums should be able to freely breastfeed their children in public? (Without blankets etc)
— Chloe (@chloelouiseyt_) November 29, 2017
B.O.O.B.S Salford was founded in 2014 through the Salford-based, social enterprise Visit from the Stork CIC, which offers a 12 week journalism course through Stork Academy both online and in person in Manchester.
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