About Us
A charity championing the best start
Baby Week is a registered charity that brings together sectors, services and communities to promote the best start in life for babies and young children. By celebrating local services and raising awareness of the importance of early childhood, Baby Week aims to help make the UK the best place for children to grow up. Today, Baby Week takes place annually in 40 regions, bringing sectors and services together from 14 to 20 November to champion the best start in life.
Baby Week’s impact has been recognised both within the early years sector and nationally. In 2019, the charity was named runner-up in the Charity of the Year category at the British Journal of Midwifery Awards. In 2023, HRH The Princess of Wales, Catherine, met with Baby Week Director Lucy Potter during a visit to Leeds to launch the Shaping Us campaign. Child Friendly Leeds was subsequently featured by the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood as a case study highlighting innovative work to support babies, children and families and demonstrating the city’s commitment to giving every child the best start in life.
meet the team
What began in Leeds has grown into a national movement. Today, Baby Week is supported by a steering group of partners from across the UK who help shape and deliver the initiative. While we prepare to introduce the wider team, meet the founders who started the Baby Week journey.
Lucy Potter
Founder of Baby Week Leeds | Winston Churchill Fellow and Family Outreach Worker
Travelled and learnt through the Winston Churchill Fellowship and managed to inspire Leeds as I brought the idea of celebrating all things babies from Brazil (Semana Do Bebe). Since then I have various roles with Womens Health Matters and am the former Maternity Voice Partnership Chair and now working with Refugee Council.
Sadiya Salim
Director of Baby Week UK & Trustee | Partnerships Lead at Child Friendly Leeds
I oversee the charity’s strategy, partnerships, communications and delivery, working with partners across the UK to turn ideas into action. I am passionate about creating opportunities that help children and families thrive. I hold a degree in Psychology and am a trained health, wellbeing development coach.
John May
Baby Week Trustee | Resettlement Project Leader, Communities, Housing & Environment
Supporting families as a resettlement leader at Leeds City Council and had a former role in the teenage pregnancy team. My passion was to connect families to support services.
Debra Gedge
Baby Week Trustee | Children's Centre Manager at Leeds City Council
Spent a career managing Leeds Children Centres supporting babies, toddlers and families and have led the partnership with early years colleagues in children centres, nurseries & family hubs.
Sally Goodwin-Mills
Baby Week Trustee | Advanced Health Improvement Specialist in Infant Feeding and Maternity in the Children and Families Public Health Team
I am a qualified Children’s Nurse, Health Visitor (SCPHN), Baby Friendly Qualified Leader and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
2026
Theme: Chat, Play, Read with me…
Together we build the best start. This year’s theme celebrates the little moments that help children thrive and the people and places that make them possible. By working together, families, communities and services can turn everyday interactions into meaningful experiences that support early development.
2025
Theme: Healthy Parent, Healthy Baby
When parents feel healthy, supported and connected, babies are more likely to thrive. As a national partnership, we chose this theme to highlight the importance of parental wellbeing, with a national conference in Leeds and 1000 events or sessions nationally.
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.
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!
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