About Us

History

The Breastfeeding Café was established in 2010, as a sociable weekly drop-in, where breastfeeding parents could meet and get consistent, evidence-based support from Breastfeeding Counsellors and Lactation Consultants, over a cup of tea.  It was funded through Clarendon Children’s Centre for 10 years, until all of Surrey’s Children’s Centres were closed.

Since then Trisha, Mary and Jenny have kept the service going voluntarily whilst forming a Community Interest Company.  They aim to raise funds so that The Breastfeeding Café can continue to provide the same free breastfeeding support to local parents.

In March last year, when Covid restrictions prevented meeting face to face, The Breastfeeding Café was taken online, meeting over Zoom.  The hope is to return to face to face settings as soon as circumstances allow. 

The Breastfeeding Café Community Interest Company 

in 2021 we set up a Community Interest Company – The Breastfeeding Cafe CIC.  Through this company we are aim to raise funds to provide ongoing breastfeeding support.  This means that any profits will be used solely for the benefit of the community in North Surrey and the surrounding area through the provision of The Breastfeeding Cafe’s Services.  Its three Directors are Mary Soane (NCT Breastfeeding Counsellor), Trisha Whisker (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) and Jenny Sansom (NCT Breastfeeding Counsellor) .  Between them, they have over 45 years of experience in providing local breastfeeding support.

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Our Mission

The Breastfeeding Café is a Community Interest Company with a mission to: “provide expert breastfeeding and perinatal support to advance the health and wellbeing of families in North Surrey and the surrounding area”.

Our Aims

The Breastfeeding Cafe is working to;

  1. offer free information and parent-centred support at weekly breastfeeding drop-ins for pregnant and new mothers and their families.

  2. build the confidence of new parents who access its services and workshops on perinatal topics.

  3. increase

    the reach and accessibility of expert local infant feeding support to include online, telephone and face-to-face consultations.

Our Principles and Values

In pursuit of these aims we will;

  1. be welcoming and accessible to all, supporting all feeding decisions.

  2. provide a parent-centred approach to infant feeding support, valuing, respecting and protecting parents’ wishes and goals.

  3. offer expertise and consistency to parents.

  4. promote a hands-off approach to encourage confidence to equip parents with the skills to continue to breastfeed when they return home.

  5. promote a relaxed, informal, safe, child-friendly and non-medical environment to listen to mothers’ infant feeding journeys.

  6. use up-to-date, evidence-based information when supporting expectant and new parents.

  7. provide a place for mothers to meet other mothers.

  1. build relationships with health professionals, peer supporters, volunteers and other local breastfeeding champions to develop a local breastfeeding support network.

  2. have a clear and transparent decision-making process.

  3. have transparent and open accounts.