About
Welcome to Baby Week
Baby Week is a registered charity and aims to bring sectors and services together to promote the best start in life. By celebrating services and raising awareness about the importance of early childhood, Baby Week aims to make UK the best place to grow up in. The initiative was inspired by Brazil’s ‘Semana do Bebe’ (UNICEF 2010), following a visit to the country by Churchill Fellow Lucy Potter. Leeds hosted the first English speaking Baby Week in 2016 with Child Friendly Leeds, NHS and partners across the city and since has shared best practice with other towns and cities. In 2019, we were nominated and came in second place as charity of the year by The British Journal of Midwifery Practice Awards (BJM).
Over the past eight years, hundreds of citywide events have been held with thousands of attendees including parents, expectant parents, practitioners and professionals , and of course babies! Each city hosting the week has the opportunity to celebrate and bring together the work of maternity and early years services, helping to raise awareness of the critical developmental growth stages and a real focus on the 1001 days in order to give every baby the best start in life.
2024
Theme: Focusing on the Best Start
We’re back to promoting the best start, where Baby Week began. This year we have many new cities joining Baby Week and we want everyone talking about the early years, support for parents and what the best start for every child in the UK means.
2023
Theme: Culture and Identity
We are super excited to supported HRH Princess Catherine in her ‘Shaping Us’ campaign and shared best practice across the UK. From a charity of volunteers we now have Baby Week in 9 regions listed above! Highlights to follow!
2022
Theme: Back to Basics
This is the year were things felt normal. and in Leeds we had 150 events! We’re getting back to basics and promoting what is available to parents and carers. Launched our 5 year report, and celebrated our closing party with 1000 people!
2021
Theme: Strengths and Struggles
Baby Week goes on during the pandemic. Launched this fantastic website, worked with many more fathers and The Dad Pad and had a focus on wellbeing and parents struggles and strengths.
2020
Theme: Stay Safe, Stay Connected
Celebrated 5 years and hosted a virtual Baby Week with 100 digital events due to Covid-19 restrictions and over 1000 attendees. Launched our ambition for planting a tree for every baby born with the Baby Week Forest!
2019
Theme: Making Connections
Launched FaceMums with Leeds Maternity Care. Over 2000 attendees with 100 events in the city including tree planting! Bonding, healthy brains and wellbeing. Cheshire and Merseyside hosted their first Baby Week!
2018
Theme: Better Conversations
Launched the fantastic family app named ’50 things to do before you’re 5′ app in Leeds. Over 1700 attendees and 82 events too place city-wide with lots of media interest. Bradford & Hull joined in!
2017
Theme: Creating Relationships
Launched the Baby Box initiative with the Haamla Team and St James Hospital and the Family Integrated Scheme at LGI Had around 500 attendees and over 45 events during the week.
2016
Theme: It all starts with a baby step!
Launched the Best Start Plan and Maternity Strategy 2015 – 2019. Had around 400 attendees across 20 events and had an increase in attendees in children centres and had our first baby champ!
First time attending Baby Week Leeds and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. Fantastic afternoon, so informative and interesting!
I have found out about places to visit in Leeds that I didn’t know about, this is a really good idea as I don’t know Leeds very well and now I can take my kids.
Great day! I feel like I have learnt so much and can absolutely use my learning from today to information my practice as a social worker.
Where is Baby Week?
Many regions have just joined the Baby Week National Partnership? Get in touch to join us for the 2024 celebrations!
Leeds
Baby Week was born in Leeds in 2016 promoting the best start in life, bringing sectors together and celebrating babies! As a child friendly city, Leeds has a vision to make it the best city to grow up in.
Bradford
An opportunity to highlight what’s on offer in Bradford for expectant families and families with babies and toddlers, develop best practice, give families the opportunity to celebrate babies at some seriously fun-packed events.
Calderdale
In 2023, Calderdale will be celebrating its first ever Baby Week, with the theme of ‘play’ showcasing activities and support available for parents and their babies across the borough.
Cheshire & Merseyside
Began here in 2019, Baby Week brings together cross-sector organisations, families and caregivers to promote the importance of women’s health and giving all our babies the best possible start in life.
Redcar & Cleveland
Baby Week was celebrated in 2023 in Redcar & Cleveland where our local Family Hubs are launched a new best start in life offer for our expectant parents, parents and carers, professionals, and the public.
Newcastle
We’re really excited as 2023 will be the first year Newcastle will be celebrating and participating in Baby Week.
Torbay
We want to ensure that every child has the best start in life. That’s why we’ve joined the National Baby Week Partnership to highlight the importance of the first 1001 days of a baby’s life.
York
York is excited to be hosting Baby Week 2024.
Durham
We want all children in County Durham to have the best start for life and are excited to be celebrating Baby Week for the first time in 2024.
Hull
On behalf of the Early Help Partnership in Hull, we are excited to be joining in with Baby Week for the first time in 2024. We are proud to work together with our parents/carers and committed team and Partners to ensure all children get the best start in life.
Buckinghamshire
In 2024, we are excited to be celebrating our first ever Baby Week Bucks, bringing together partners to promote the importance of giving children the best start in life.
Sunderland
Lead by Sunderland Family hubs, we are excited to bring Baby Week here. We want to ensure that every child in Sunderland has the best start in life through shining a spotlight on the first 1001 critical days with our partners, families and professionals.
Interested?
Want to be the next city to host baby week?
The success in 2023 meant that over 1000 events were advertised between 14 – 20 November! We’re on our journey to make this a national week for every city and region to be a part of.
Blog
baby week 2024 is all about focusing on the best start
Baby Week is now a national initiative taking place from the 14 - 20 November each year and aims to bring sectors and services together to promote...
Baby Week UK is catching new towns in November 2023 promoting the Best Start
Baby Week Leeds is back to celebrate their 8th year and we’re excited to announce, it has welcomed some new cousins across the UK!
