Welcome to Baby Week
Baby Week aims to make UK the best place to grow up in.
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 six 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.
Baby Week
Partners
Baby Week began with a city-wide partnership group in Leeds and now has both trustees at the charity and a national steering group. Updates coming soon!
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! Working with our key founding partners Child Friendly Leeds, NHS and other services across the city to support the ambition to make it the best place to grow up. Here we were also joined by Princess Catherine in 2023 to focus on our work around early childhood, early intervention and partnership across sectors.
Contact: babyweekleeds@outlook.com/ childfriendlyleeds@leeds.gov.uk
Bradford
In essence, Baby Week is a celebration of babies and Bradford began their initiative in 2018. The week itself can take a variety forms, shapes and sizes, but for us it’s 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.
Contact: hello@betterstartbradford.org.uk
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. It forms part of the Calderdale Family Hub offer and supports the Calderdale Wellbeing Strategy priority for all children to be ready for school.
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. Cheshire and Merseyside Women’s Health and Maternity (WHAM) works closely with local partners to help raise awareness of important baby health and wellbeing issues throughout the month.
Coventry
In Coventry we want every baby in to have the best start for life. This year will be our first Start for Life Baby Week celebration which forms part of the Coventry Family Hub Offer that supports Child Friendly Cov campaign; that Coventry is the best place in the UK for children and young people to live and grow up in. Coventry City Council are working with NHS and voluntary organisation to have a weeklong celebration of activities, information and learning for families.
Contact: EarlyHelpPartnershipCoordinators@coventry.gov.uk
Redcar & Cleveland
In Redcar & Cleveland our local Family Hubs are launching a new best start in life offer for our expectant parents, parents and carers, professionals, and the public to raise awareness of services, advocate for early intervention, promote strategies that improve outcomes during pregnancy and in early years. As part of our new best start in life offer, we are facilitating our first Baby Week Redcar & Cleveland with a theme of Culture and Identity.
Nottinghamshire
On behalf of the Best Start Partnership in Nottinghamshire, we are really excited to be joining in with Baby Week for the first time in 2023. We are looking forward to bringing our local parents, carers, partners and services together to promote giving children the Best Start in Life. Giving children the best start is something we are passionate about in Nottinghamshire because we know that a good start shapes lifelong health, wellbeing and prosperity.
Contact: lucy.hawkin@nottscc.gov.uk
Newcastle
We’re really excited as 2023 will be the first year Newcastle will be celebrating and participating in Baby Week. We’ll be doing this with the theme of ‘You’re Amazing’ and showcasing a range of events and activities across the City available to parents/carers and their babies. Baby Week (14 – 20 November 2023) forms part of Newcastle’s Children and Families Family Hub offer. Newcastle City Council, the NHS and Voluntary Sector partners are promoting a range of activities throughout the week, which will be kicking off a day early on Monday 13th as we host the North East Parent Infant Relationship Event.
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. Baby Week Torbay is organised by Torbay Family Hubs with partnerships involving Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, Public Health, Action for Children, Torbay Council and many more partners across all sectors.
Contact: familyhubtorbay@actionforchildren.org.uk
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!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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!
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!
First time attending Baby Week Leeds and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. Fantastic afternoon, so informative and interesting!
- Conference Attendee
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.
- New Parent
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.
- Social Worker
Contact
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