Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP) enjoyed a great turnout at its recent Breastfeeding Friendly Picnic at Chester Cathedral.

The event was open to all and aimed to celebrate breastfeeding and promote local services that offer support for new mothers.

More than 200 families attended the picnic and enjoyed an array of exhibition stalls and child-friendly activities that were on offer throughout the day.

Representatives from CWP’s Health Visiting Service and The Countess of Chester Hospital’s Infant Feeding Team were on hand to answer questions, with midwives and staff from local children’s centres also there to provide information about services available to support families.

Other local businesses that came along to provide support and showcase their services included Puddle Ducks, Turtletots ,Nappies R Us, The Spotty Pig and Chester Sling Library.

Children were kept entertained throughout with games and activities hosted by A-Star Sports and Unicorns Children’s Yoga.

After the picnic, organiser Laura Evans, CWP’s infant feeding coordinator said: “This was CWP’s first-ever breastfeeding friendly picnic. The event was a real success. Breastfeeding has a major role to play in promoting public health and reducing health inequalities. Breastfeeding has many benefits for both mother and baby. A baby who is breastfed has less chance of developing infections and if a mother breastfeeds, she has a reduced risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. It was brilliant to see so many families coming along to show support. We are very grateful to all the businesses who donated raffle prizes and made the picnic a real success.”

The event raised more than £200 which will go towards The Northwest Human Milk bank, a local joint venture who provide donor milk to sick and premature babies and Challenging Stigma, a CWP campaign that promotes positive attitudes towards those with mental health issues, learning disabilities or drug and alcohol issues.