Events
Yorkshire and Humber Infant Feeding Awards
The Yorkshire and Humber Infant Feeding Awards aim to celebrate people and organisations that are contributing significantly to the infant feeding agenda.
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The Infant Feeding Awards serve as a mechanism for raising awareness and drawing stakeholders' attention to the infant feeding agenda.
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Children have the right to be fed, and parents need information and support to make informed decisions about feeding. Parents need to be supported in the decisions they have made which would have a significant impact on the child. Many people think infant feeding responsibilities fall on the mother and the health professionals only. Actually, many stakeholders and society at large have an impact on infant feeding.
Our vision is to create a world where every child can have a healthy growth and development through feeding. We envision a future where parents are empowered with knowledge and resources that support the physical and emotional wellbeing of children. Through collaboration we aim to inspire a culture of excellence in infant feeding by celebrating individuals and organisations that transcend barriers, promoting health equity for all families.
Infant Feeding Awards Vision Statement
Infant Feeding Awards 2026
Nominations for the Infant Feeding Awards 2026 will be launched in June 2025. Information about nominations will be shared on this page.
Infant Feeding Awards 2025
The Infant Feeding Awards 2025 took place on Wednesday 15 January 2025 at York St John University.
Find out this year's winners and nominees below.
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Award categories
The award categories are:
Excellence in Infant Feeding Education: Awards an individual or organisation that has provided outstanding education or training in the field of breastfeeding, such as a lactation consultant educator or breastfeeding counsellor.
Shortlist:
- Goodwin Doula and Breastfeeding Peer Support Project (BFPS)
- Anne Amott (Infant Feeding Team Leader, Barnsley 0-19 Public Health Nursing Service) and Sarah Beardsall (Infant Feeding Coordinator, Barnsley Hospital Maternity Services)
- Sara Balmforth - Winner
Most Sustainable Infant Feeding Local Council: Awards the council that has demonstrated significant engagement in innovative breastfeeding and infant feeding projects, programmes, or initiatives that have improved breastfeeding rates or support in a community, workplace, or healthcare setting.
Shortlist:
- East Riding of Yorkshire Council
- Sheffield City Council
- Hull City Council - Winner
Infant Feeding Friendly Public Place: Recognises a public building that has a breastfeeding and infant feeding room which is well-resourced and clearly signposted.
Shortlist:
- White Rose Shopping Centre, Leeds
- Trinity Shopping Centre, Leeds
- St Stephens Shopping Centre, Hull - Winner
Excellence in Breastfeeding Support: Recognises an individual or organisation that has provided outstanding support for breastfeeding mothers, such as a lactation consultant, breastfeeding peer supporter, or breastfeeding-friendly employer.
Shortlist:
- Treasure Chest
- Hull 0-19 Service
- Robyn Clarke - Winner
Outstanding Breastfeeding Advocate: Honours an individual who has made significant contributions to promoting and protecting breastfeeding through advocacy, research, or education.
Shortlist:
- Goodwin Doula and BFPS project
- Natasha Day MBE - Winner
- Anne Hemsley
Breastfeeding Friendly Employer: Recognises an employer that has implemented family-friendly policies, such as paid parental leave, flexible working arrangements, or dedicated breastfeeding facilities, to support breastfeeding employees.
Shortlist:
- Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
- Leeds City Council - Winner
- Ministry of Defence
Breastfeeding Friendly University: Recognises universities that have implemented family-friendly policies, such as paid parental leave, flexible working arrangements, or dedicated breastfeeding facilities, to support breastfeeding employees.
Shortlist:
- University of Hull
- University of York
- York St John University - Winner
Community Breastfeeding Champion: Awards an individual or group that has made outstanding contributions to promoting and supporting breastfeeding in their community, such as through peer support groups, community education, or advocacy.
Shortlist:
- Infant Feeding Team - Barnsley Council - Winner
- Leeds Bosom Buddies
- Goodwin Breastfeeding Peer Support Project
- Leeds Maternity Infant Feeding team
Breastfeeding in Adversity: Recognises a mother who has overcome significant challenges or adversity to breastfeed, such as medical complications, social stigma, or lack of support.
Shortlist:
- Helena Ramsden - Winner
- Louise Prashad - Winner
- Beth Brennan - Winner
- Rochelle Millar - Winner
- Alice Thatcher - Winner
Infant Feeding Research Award: Honours an individual or team that has made significant contributions to advancing breastfeeding research and evidence-based practice.
Shortlist:
- Barnsley Council's Children's Public Health Team and 0-19 Public Health - Winner
Judging panel
Find out more about our judging panel in the drop-down menu below.
Councillor Bob Webb is the Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education for the City of York Council. His portfolio includes responsibility for the health and wellbeing of young people, Children's Services, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, Schools and Childcare. He has been a Councillor for the Heworth Ward in the City since 2019 alongside being a trustee for Tang Hall Community Centre and a teacher of science in York since 2012. Bob is particularly keen to support initiatives that help the most disadvantaged in our communities including projects around food and feeding children.
I am Dr Tim Hughes and I am a retired GP now living in York having worked as a GP in Kirkbymoorside, Ryedale for 30 years. I am President of York Medical Society for 2024-25. York Medical Society has been supporting the work of those in our city who deliver breast feeding support through a charitable donation to Treasure Chest and hosting a 'Community of Practice' event in the Society bringing this community together in our historic rooms to share and learn together.
I qualified as a registered midwife in 2005 and have worked in a variety of places across the UK, including Birmingham, London, Manchester, York and Scarborough. Within my 15 years of clinical practice, I have held several different roles within maternity services with one of my passions being Public Health, particularly inequalities in health.
Following my passion, I completed an MSc in Public Health, which gave me the opportunity to explore the public health theory which underpinned midwifery practice further. Infant feeding is a key area of public health work and influenced my research project exploring infant feeding information provided to pregnant women on methadone medication.
In 2020, I made the move into Midwifery education where I am now in the fortunate position to be educating the midwifery workforce of the future and developing a new Midwifery programme at York St John University which is due to commence in September 2025.
I am the Head of Academic Quality at York St John University, and I have had the pleasure of working with Ernestine for over two and a half years. I am delighted to be a part of the Yorkshire and Humber Infant Feeding Awards Judging Panel, where I have thoroughly enjoyed reviewing the amazing work being done in this important field. As I approach an exciting milestone in my own life, with my first baby due in March, I am particularly pleased to contribute to the celebration of excellent infant feeding practices.
Participant
Amazing event, really well organised, real passion behind it and some fantastic and inspirational speakers.
Participant
I really enjoyed attending the event and the information about how to get there and the maps were so useful. I really hope there is an event like this again as it really helps to showcase and connect Infant feeding across the Yorkshire and Humber Region.
Participant
Congratulations to Dr Ernestine and her co-host. It was a pleasure to attend.
Participant
I think the dress code could have been posted a little earlier, apart from that is was such an amazing evening! Can't wait for next year!
Our sponsors
Thank you to all our sponsors:
- York Business School
- Institute for Health and Care Improvement
Sponsorship of the Infant Feeding Awards is welcomed from businesses, the NHS, councils, universities and other organisations.
