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← Families And Babies (Fab)

2025-03-31-accounts

Charity number: 1136594

Families and Babies

Trustees’ report and financial statements For the year ended 31 March 2025

FAMILIES AND BABIES

CONTENTS

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FAMILIES AND BABIES

CHARITY INFORMATION FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Trustees Elaine Edwards
Noel Edwards
Dulani Ruwanmali Mendis Scott
Michael Hudson
Wayne Gareth Rushton
Lorraine Carter
Lewis Waddington
Registered Charity Number 1136594
Address 222/224 Tonge Moor Road
Bolton
BL2 2HN
IndependentExaminer Philip Dawson
Dawson & Co
Suite 9, Rockfield House
512 Darwen Road
Bromley
Cross Bolton
Lancashire
BL7 9DX
Bankers HSBC Bank
5 Great Underbank
Stockport
Cheshire
SK11LH

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FAMILIES AND BABIES

TRUSTEES’ REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

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The Trustees present their annual report together with the financial statements of Families and Babies (FAB) for the year ended 31 March 2025. The Trustees confirm that the annual report and financial statements of the charity comply with the Charities Act 2011, and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) October 2019.

Structure, governance and management

CONSTITUTION

The Charity is governed by a Trust deed dated 8" October 2021, the charity is in the process of updating and reviewing the document.

METHOD OF APPOINTMENT OR ELECTION OF TRUSTEES

There must be at least three Trustees. Apart from the first Trustees, every Trustee must be appointed, for a term of 4 years, by a resolution of the Trustees passed at a special meeting. In selecting individuals for appointment as Trustees, the Trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the Charity.

POLICIES ADOPTED FOR THE INDUCTION AND TRAINING OF TRUSTEES

The Charity adopts a policy where Trustees are provided with a copy of the Trust Deed and the latest accounts and annual report. Also provided are Links to the Charities Commission website which include, but are not restricted to, the Essential Trustee Guide.

Objectives and Activities

The objects of the charity are:-

  1. To advance and promote the physical and psychological health of mothers and children through the provision of support education and training regarding breastfeeding

  2. To advance the education and promote the good health of children under the age of five years, their families and carers, in particular but not exclusively by the provision of advance, support training and supporting research into healthy eating

The charity aims to support health and well-being in children and families in the UK. The charity provides peer support services offering evidence based information and support to help improve health and well-being within families.

This year Charity has been providing services across the country within 4 areas:

' Wakefield District

In Wakefield, and Dorset, we worked under service level agreements with local authorities and NHS bodies. In Bolton, services were delivered through community grants and Trustee-led projects.

Core activities include:

TRUSTEES' REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

FAMILIES AND BABIES

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ACTIVITIES FOR ACHIEVING OBJECTIVES

Achievements and performance

Review of Activities This year marks FAB’s 15th year as a charity providing breastfeeding peer support to mothers and families. Our staff and volunteers have continued to demonstrate passion and dedication, maintaining high-quality services across all commissioned areas and expanding our FAB family of supporters.

Highlights of the year include:

GOING CONCERN

After making appropriate enquiries, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. For this reason they continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements. Further details regarding the adoption of the going concern basis can be found in the Accounting Policies.

REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES

This is the 13" year as a charity providing breastfeeding peer support to mothers and their families and our team of staff and volunteers continue to show passion and dedication to their roles. We have maintained our support services across all three of our commissioned areas this year and have seen both staff and volunteer teams grow bigger increasing our FAB family

All staff across the charity have once again completed the NHS Data Protection training in addition to breastfeeding update training and safeguarding training to ensure we offer the best possible support to families.

FAB has continued to offer a digital service even as restrictions were lifted as we recognise that parents may still feel uncertain about mixing with others with small babies and also that there are other reasons for not accessing face to face support.

Our management team have worked hard to increase the visibility of FAB over the past 12 months and to explore new income streams in order to increase the level of support we are able to offer. Our online antenatal course was improved and has been rolled out in our commissioned areas and beyond, and we are working

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TRUSTEES' REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

FAMILIES AND BABIES

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hard on our offering to the Business Sector on women returning to work

Overview of our commissioned areas

2021-2022 has brought a new set of challenges as we gradually resumed face to face support as safely as possible. We have struggled with staff restrictions as children were sent home from school to isolate impacting on staff ability to work in the community. FAB are proud of the passion and dedication shown by all our staff and volunteers and would like to thank every one of them for the ongoing support they have provided to new families. In recognition of this FAB were able to fund a place at the UNICEF virtual conference for every member of peer support staff.

Dorset

The Dorset service has grown significantly this year, with ten regular groups running across the county and face-to-face support now accessible six days a week. A major milestone was the opening of the FAB Dorset Shop in Wareham, which has provided a permanent base for breastfeeding support, antenatal sessions, baby massage, sling and reusable nappy support, and a free school uniform initiative.

The Dorset Facebook group now has over 2,700 members, providing daily peer-to-peer interaction moderated by trained volunteers. During the year, volunteers contributed 1,368 hours of support, with 1,225 group attendances recorded.

FAB Dorset has developed strong partnerships with the Defence Breastfeeding Network and Army Welfare Services, extending support to military families. Community engagement included events such as FABFest and Babies on the Beach during World Breastfeeding Week, strengthening FAB’s visibility and impact.

Achievements included the launch of the Dorset shop, a growing volunteer base (32 peer supporters plus shop volunteers), and expanded training opportunities. Challenges remain in sustaining high group attendance in some areas and building fundraising capacity alongside service delivery.

Wakefield

The Wakefield service continued to expand and innovate. Over the year FAB received 1,627 referrals, with 96% of mums contacted within 48 hours, and acceptance of support rising from 86% in Q1 to 96% in Q4.

Key achievements included:

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FAMILIES AND BABIES

TRUSTEES' REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

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Wakefield staff and volunteers played a key role in progressing towards UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Accreditation, with training completed and a positive response to the action plan at the Register of Intent meeting.

Challenges included addressing occasional gaps in ward peer supporter availability and ensuring sustained engagement with antenatal courses. The service is adapting by training additional staff and volunteers and trialling new venues and times for classes

Bolton

Bolton has seen strong community engagement and innovative local partnerships. Highlights included:

Additional community activities included participation in local festive events, winter coat donations through the Rotary Club, and family-focused contests.

The service supported 36 families via breastfeeding drop-ins, with additional families reached through the new helpline. FAB Bolton also benefited from national recognition, winning £5,000 from the Aviva Community Fund Awards in March 2025.

Strengths this year have been community visibility, creative fundraising, and building strong collaborative links. Challenges remain around consistent attendance at drop-in services and the need to diversify income to safeguard future sustainability.

The Trustees have reviewed the major risks faced by the Charity and have put plans in place to mitigate these risks.

Financial review

The financial statements show net outgoing resources for the year of £85,210 (2024 incoming £15,704).

PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES

The principal risks faced by the charity are:

The Trustees manage these risks through diversifying income, ongoing volunteer recruitment and training, and robust safeguarding policies and procedures.

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FAMILIES AND BABIES

TRUSTEES’ REPORT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

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RESERVES POLICY

Free reserves as at 31 March 2025 were £227,962. Principal sources of income included commissioned contracts with NHS and local authority partners, community grants, and donations. Expenditure was directed towards the delivery of frontline services, volunteer training, and the development of new resources. Reserves policy The Trustees have agreed a policy to hold unrestricted reserves equivalent to at least three months of operating costs. As at 31 March 2025, unrestricted reserves were £227,962, which the Trustees consider to be adequate for the ongoing operation and financial stability of the charity

FUTURE PLANS

In the coming year, FAB will:

PUBLIC BENEFIT

We confirm that we have complied with our duty to have due regard to the Charity Commission's public benefit guidance when exercising any powers or duties to which the guidance is relevant

This report was approved by the Trustees on 1% October 2025 and signed on their behalf by:

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Elaine Edwards a—+=
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Chair of Trustees

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FAMILIES AND BABIES INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

| report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2025 which are set out on pages8 to 17.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity’s trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).

| report in respect of my examination of the charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination | have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner's statement

Since the charity’s gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be a member of a body listed in section 145 of the Act. | confirm that our staff are qualified to undertake the examination as qualified under the Association of Accounting Technicians.

| have completed my examination. | confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

  1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or 2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

  2. the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view’ which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.

| have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

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FAMILIES AND BABIES

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
funds funds funds funds
2025 2025 2025 2024
Note £ £ £ £
INCOME FROM 2
Charitable activities 490,669 - 490,669 773,214
Othertrading activities
Other income		 2,998
3,000		 -
-		 2,998
3,000		 30,054
3,000
TOTAL INCOME 496 667 - 496 667 806,268
EXPENDITURE ON
Raising funds
Charitable activities		 3
4		 34,612
547,265		 -
-		 34,612
547,265		 41,688
748,876
TOTAL EXPENDITURE 5 581,877 - 581,877 790,564
NET MOVEMENT IN FUNDS (85,210) - (85,210) 15,704
Totalfunds at 1 April 2022 aee.o08 age =Shee
TOTALFUNDSAT31MARCH2023 243,343 - 243,343 328,553

All income and expenditure in the previous year related to unrestricted funds.

The notes on pages 11 to 17 form part of these financial statements.

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FAMILIES AND BABIES

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 MARCH 2025

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2025 2024
Note £ £ £ £
FIXED ASSETS
Tangible fixed assets 8 15,381 12,118
CURRENT ASSETS
Debtors 9 1,653 19,527
Cash in hand 276,884 344,534
278,537 364,061
CREDITORS: amounts falling due within
one year 10 (50,575) (47,626)
NET CURRENT ASSETS saree 316,435
PoASSETS LESS CURRENT 943.343. 398.553
~__243,343. 328,553
CHARITY FUNDS
Unrestricted funds 11 243,343 328,553
Restricted funds - :
TOTAL FUNDS/(DEFICIT) 243,343 328,553
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The financial statements were approved by the Trustees on 1t October 2025 and signed on their behalf, by:

Elaine Edwards

Lorraine Carter

All assets and liabilities relate to unrestricted funds.

The notes on pages 11 to 17 form part of these financial statements. $$$ -9-

FAMILIES AND BABIES

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

SEee

2025 2024
£ £
Cash flows from operating activities
Net income/(expenditure) forthe year		 (85,210) 15,704
Depreciation
Loss on disposal
Decrease/(Increase) in debtors
(Decrease)/Increase in creditors		 4,887
1,350
17,874
2,949		 3,178
-
497
743
Netcash inflow/(outflow) from operating
activities		 (58,150) 20,122
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchase offixed assets (9,500) -
Netcash used in investing activities (9,500) -
Net(decrease)/increase in cash and cash
equivalents inthe reporting period		 (67,650) 20,122
Cash and cash equivalents at 1 April 2023 344,534 324,412
Cashandcashequivalentsat31March2024 276,884 344,534

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FAMILIES AND BABIES NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

  1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The principal accounting policies adopted, judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty in the preparation of the financial statements are as follows:

Basis of preparation of financial statements

The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention and in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)(October 2019), the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

Families and Babies meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant accounting policy note.

The accounts (financial statements) have been prepared to givea ‘true and fair’ view and have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 only to the extent required to provide a ‘true and fair view. This departure has involved following the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) rather than the Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice effective from 1 April 2005 which has since been withdrawn.

Preparation of the accounts on a going concern basis

The trustees assess whether the use of going concern is appropriate, ie whether there are any material uncertainties related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the ability of the charity to continue as a going concern. The trustees make this assessment in respect of a period of at least one year from the date of authorisation for issue of the accounts. The trustees have concluded that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future and there are no material uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern. Thus they continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the accounts.

Fund accounting

General funds are unrestricted funds which are available for use at the discretion of the Trustees in furtherance of the general objectives of the charity and which have not been designated for other purposes.

Restricted funds are funds which are to be used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by donors or which have been raised by the charity for particular purposes. The costs of raising and administering such funds are charged against the specific fund.

Incoming resources

These are included in the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) when:

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FAMILIES AND BABIES NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

Incoming resources with related expenditure

Where incoming resources have related expenditure (as with fundraising or contract income) the incoming resources and related expenditure are reported gross in the SOFA.

Grants and Donations

Grants and donations are only included in the SOFA when the charity has unconditional entitlement to the resources.

Tax reclaims on donations and gifts

Incoming resources from tax reclaims are included in the SoFA at the same time as the gift to which they relate.

Contractual income and performance related grants

This is included in the SoFA once the related goods or services have been delivered.

Gifts in Kind

Gifts in kind are accounted for at a reasonable estimate of their value to the charity or the amount actually realised.

Gifts in kind for sale or distribution are included in the accounts as gifts only when sold or distributed by the charity.

Gifts in kind for use by the charity are included in the SoFA as incoming resources when receivable.

Donated services and facilities

These are only included in incoming resources {with an equivalent amount in resources expended) where the benefit to the charity is reasonably quantifiable, measurable and material. The value placed on these resources is the estimated value to the charity of the service or facility received.

Volunteer help

The value of any voluntary help received is not included in the accounts but is described in the trustees’ annual report

Resources expended and liabilities

Liability recognition

Liabilities are recognised as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out resources.

Governance costs

Include costs of the preparation and examination of statutory accounts, the costs of trustee meetings and cost of any legal advice to trustees on governance or constitutional matters.

Support costs

Support costs have been allocated to activity cost on an actual basis

Assets

Tangible fixed assets for use by charity

Tangible fixed assets are held at cost and written off over their useful economic life as follows:-

Plant and machinery - 20% reducing balance Fixtures, fittings and equipment - 20% reducing balance

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FAMILIES AND BABIES

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025 me

A. ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

Leases

Rentals payable under operating leases are charged to the SoFA over the period of the lease.

Value added tax

The Charity is not registered for VAT. In these financial statements, where applicable, expenditure is shown inclusive of VAT.

Critical accounting estimates and areas of judgement The Trustees do not consider that there are any critical accounting estimates or areas of judgement in these accounts.

  1. INCOME
INCOME
Unrestricted Restricted Total Total
funds funds funds funds
2025 2025 2024
£ £ £
Othertrading activities Shop income from
selling donated goods		 2,998 - 2,998 30,054
Incoming resources fromSale of services from
charitable activities
the charity's activities		 490,669 - 490;669 773,214
Other income Rent received 3,000 - 3,000 3,000
496,667 - 496667 806,268

All income in the current and prior year is unrestricted.

3: EXPENDITURE ON RAISING FUNDS

Unrestricted
funds		 Total
2025		 Total
2024
£ £ £
Rent ofshops and costs
Advertising costs		 33,390
1,222		 33,390
1,222		 39,920
1,768
34,612 34,612 41,688

All expenditure on raising funds in the current and prior year was unrestricted.

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FAMILIES AND BABIES

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

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4. Expenditure on charitable activities

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||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|Total| |funds|funds|2025|2024| |£|£|£|£| |Provision|of charitable|services|438,409|-|438,409|633,981| |Administration|and|management|15,305|-|15,305|25,075| |Information|technology|905|-|905|5,525| |Legal|and|professional|fees|67,236|-|67,236|27,367| |Management fees|25,410|-|25,410|56,928| |i| |547,265|-|547,265|748,876| |rt|

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All expenditure on charitable activities in the current and prior year related to unrestricted funds.

5: ANALYSIS OF RESOURCES EXPENDED

5.1 Trustee expenses

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||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Number|of trustees|who|were|paid|expenses|-|-| |2025|2024| |£|£;| |Nature|of expenses| |Travel|and|subsistence|-|.|

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No remuneration was paid to Trustees during the year.

6. NET INCOME This is stated after charging:

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||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |2025|2024| |£|£| |Independent|examiner's|remuneration|1,200|1,200| |Other fees|paid|to|the|independent|examiner|6,969|3,464|

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FAMILIES AND BABIES

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

i STAFF COSTS

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||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |2025|2024| |£|£| |Gross wages,|salaries|and|benefits|in|kind|370,347|493,533| |Employer's|National|Insurance|1,236|17,465| |Pension|costs|9,654|5,711| |381,237|516,709|

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There were no employees in the year with remuneration over £60,000.

Average number of full-time equivalent employees in the year

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||||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |2025|2024| |The|parts|of the|charity|in|which|the|employees work|£|£| |Fundraising|10|10| |Charitable|Activities|25|23| |35|33|

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Defined contribution pension scheme

Payments are made to a defined contribution pension scheme and the pension charge represents the amounts payable to the fund in the year.

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|||||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |2025|2024| |£|£| |The|costs|of the|scheme|to|the|charity|for the|year|9,654|5,711|

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FAMILIES AND BABIES

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

8. FIXED ASSETS

Fixtures,
Motor vehicles fittings and Total
equipment
£ £ £
Cost
1 April 2024
Additions
Disposals
31 March 2025		 19.468
9,500
(18.445)
10,523		 38,087
-
-
38,087		 57,555
9,500
(18.445)
48,610
Accumulated Depreciation
1 April 2024
Charge for year
Depreciation on disposals
31 March 2025		 17,567
2,846
(17,095)
3,318		 27,870
2,041
-
29,911		 45,437
4,887
(17,095)
33,229
Net Book Value 31 March 2025 7,205 8,176 15,381
Net Book Value 1 April 2024 1,901 10,217 12,118
9. DEBTORS
2025 2024
£ £
Trade debtors - 19,527
Other debtors 1,653 -
1,653 19,527
10. CREDITORS:
Amounts falling due within one year
2025 2024
£ £
Trade creditors -
Other creditors 3,181 4,942
Accruals and deferred income 47,394 42,684
50,575 47,626

oo

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FAMILIES AND BABIES

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2025

11. STATEMENT OF FUNDS

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||||||||| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |Brought|Incoming|Resources|Carried| |Forward|resources|Expended|Forward| |£|£|£|£| |Unrestricted|funds| |General|fund|328,553|496|667|(581,877)|243,343| |Total|of funds|328,553|496,667|___|(581,877)|243,343| |Year ended|31|March|2024|Brought|Incoming|Resources|Carried| |Forward|resources|Expended|Forward| |£|£|£|£| |Unrestricted|funds| |General|fund|312,849|806,268|(790,564)|328,553| |Total|of funds|312,849|806,268|_ (790,564)|328,553|

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12. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

E Edwards and N Edwards, trustees are also directors of LA Business Services Limited. During the year the charity purchased goods and services from LA Business Services Limited totalling £21,194 (2024: £33,879).

E Edwards in also a director of FAB Consulting Limited. During the year the charity purchased services from FAB Consulting Limited totalling £44,410 (2024: £56,928)

This year has seen the FAB support in Dorset continue with a strong core group of volunteers committed to ensuring groups run weekly and families are supported both face to face and through our online platforms.

Alongside this support we had the privilege of opening our FAB Dorset shop in Wareham, which offers a base for not only breastfeeding support six days a week but also other support resources for families ranging from antenatal sessions, baby massage, support with slings/baby wearing and reusable nappies.

Our online support group now has over 2700 members with requests to join still happening on a daily basis. This platform offers a space for not only support but also information sharing and a chance to celebrate all things breastfeeding. There is a team of dedicated Volunteer Peer Supporters who are admins and moderators on the group, ensuring the group runs well and mums can continue to access regular support and information.

We made the decision this year to end Facebook Rooms with parents preferring to join face to face groups. However, video and telephone support does remain an option for families alongside both our face to face and online groups

Staff, Volunteers and Training

Deb Woodward

Deb is part of the Training Team for FAB, training and supporting both staff and volunteers in the Dorset and Wakefield areas. This is alongside her role as Service Manager and Volunteer Coordinator for Dorset.

Deb oversees the ten groups that run in Dorset and coordinates with volunteers to ensure groups are running as well as working with various venues, with support now happening more in community venues rather than Children Centres or Family Hubs. Deb continues to attend community and networking events to promote the service in Dorset and the FAB Charity.

Deb maintained the role of Volunteer Coordinator for volunteers supporting through the Defence Breastfeeding Network and has developed strong links with many Army Welfare Service Personnel in order to not only train volunteers but to maintain the level of support available as volunteers are deployed or relocate.

Keeley Woodward

Keeley continues her support for families in the Purbeck area. The Wareham group has moved into the meeting area of the FAB Dorset shop where Keeley now supports families alongside two other Volunteer Peer Supporters.

Keeley took on a further role this year as the FAB Dorset Shop Manager. She runs the shop overseeing a wonderful group of volunteers and ensuring families in the Dorset area can be supported in a variety of ways through her initiatives with baby massage and reusable nappies for example. It was through her work with Bourne Green that Keeley was able to bring our volunteer Katy on board to allow for additional support with baby wearing and the local council reusable nappy schemes.

Keeley is still the point of contact for our Social Media Platforms and not only updates local information for families but shares resources that all parents can use. Keeley ensures all of the face to face group info is regularly shared through social media to allow parents to access up to date information and support.

Kirstie Preston

Kirstie joined the FAB Dorset Team in the Summer of 2024 as a shop assistant. She was able to oversee the smooth running of the shop and coordinate the volunteers around the days that Keeley didn’t work and this enabled the shop to be open 6 days a week. After joining as a shop assistant Kirstie went on to do her Peer Support training and became part of the support for our Tuesday morning group in Wareham as well as enabling there to be FAB Breastfeeding support in Dorset 6 days a week.

The shop has a team of eight volunteers this year working on everything from preparation of the base with painting and decorating to running the shop floor and groups. We would like to thank all of them for their hard work, with particular thanks to

Elizabeth Carter for her support with antenatal

Louise Powditch for running Baby Massage classes

Katy Clee for supporting mums (and us) with information on baby wearing and reusable nappies

Jo Rettalack for Peer Support

Heather Moloney

Heather continues to be a valuable member of the FAB Team now as a volunteer rather than paid staff.

She regularly attends events promoting FAB and the breastfeeding support service, which now includes Wimborne as well as the BCP area. She offers information and support at both the Little Pickles Markets and CAN events and also the Poole Baby Event which happens twice a year in the Spring and Autumn. Heather also continues to support through our Facebook Group.

Heather has encouraged other volunteers to be part of the events and we now have a team of volunteers who either support alongside Heather or run their own events.

With special thanks to Jess Dixon and Hannah Hazel for returning with the FABFest Celebration in Blandford this year and also Sarah Webb, Tamsin Lancashire and Emily Hendry for hosting Babies on the Beach in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week in August.

We have a total of 32 Volunteer Peers Supporters and 2 Meet and Greet supporting at our groups across Dorset. We have a further 8 volunteers working in the shop.

Peer supporter feedback:

“It is with a heavy heart that I submit my resignation to peer supporting for breastfeeding mothers. I have been happily working with FAB for 5 years and it has been incredibly rewarding to be there for so many people when they need a cup of tea, an ear and a shoulder to cry on.

I'm grateful to have been part of such an organisation but it is time for me to move on.

Mulberry is a beautiful and essential group for those in the Weymouth and Portland area and I hope that you can find support to take my place and bolster the amazing work that the other volunteers do with their ever-increasing personal commitments. My final group will be on 30 Aug on the schedule in our FAB Mulberry chat. Thank you for the support and passion you bring to such a worthy cause. Warm regards…”

Groups

We remain a strong presence in Dorset with 10 support groups across the county and face to face support accessible 6 days a week.

Our Blandford Camp group closed at the end of the Summer as volunteers moved away, however our Blandford Group went from strength to strength with a second volunteer training to support alongside Jess and mums from Blandford Camp are always made welcome at this group. Our Blandford Camp Volunteers are hoping to continue supporting in the areas they move to, under our network with the DBN and we look forward to seeing this happen.

We also ended support in Bridport with low numbers attending group and our volunteer, Josie returning to full time work.

We opened a new group in February 2025 with support now once again being more accessible in the North of the County.

We have had 1225 attendances recorded at our groups with a total of 1368 support hours from volunteers.

Partnership working

FAB remains an active member of the Dorset Infant Feeding Network and the Dorset Infant Feeding Team. The Dorset Infant Feeding Team no longer meets face to face although we do have a digital network group that allows us to share best practices and information.

We continue to be recognised as being able to support mums alongside Midwives and Health Visitors and this includes supporting mums that have been referred also by GPs who understand the importance of having positioning and attachment checked to ensure breastfeeding is going well.

We have developed really strong links with partners in the Defence Breastfeeding Network and Army Welfare Services and hope to continue expanding on this to develop networks of support in other areas of the UK.

Our partnership working with both Dorchester and Poole Maternity Units as well as Poole NICU allows information to be shared regularly with new mums across the County.

Community Partnerships

FAB remains active with Community Action Network, joining both networking and community events hosted by CAN. The support we receive from CAN is invaluable in our support in Dorset.

Not Just Sundaes sadly closed this year but Wareham group was supported to continue in the interim by Wareham Family Hub before we were able to move into the Wareham base at the FAB Dorset Shop.

The Bourne Green shop also closed this year but as a result Katy began volunteering with FAB 2 days a week supporting families with nappies and slings.

Maddies Miracle group in Bournemouth is an IBCLC led group that FAB are able to signpost to for free extended breastfeeding support. FAB also supported alongside Maddies Miracle at the Purbeck Valley Folk Festival, offering PS alongside their IBCLCs.

FAB were also supported by the Mayor of Wareham during 2024- 2025 as a regular visitor to the shop and events we were hosting including our stand at the Wareham Christmas Parade.

Achievements

Obviously, the biggest achievement this year was the FAB Dorset Shop, allowing us to have a permanent base for supporting families in Dorset as well as giving us a really strong community presence in Wareham.

Both the team and volunteers have worked really hard to maintain the groups and support offered across the whole county.

We have seen an increase in the number of mums joining our FAB Dorset FB group with another 1000 members this year. This shows the importance of being able to access support and information both online as well as at face to face groups.

Networking with the Defence Breastfeeding Network and introductions to the Army Welfare Services. This will allow us room to grow the support we offer and include other areas across the UK.

Volunteers of the Year

Challenges .

Although we have a really strong team of volunteers it can be difficult to step away from the model of support they are used to being part of. Without the major signposting and funding from Public Health we need to continue to find new ways to promote the service and the charity. We need to have more volunteers that are willing to be in the community and at events alongside the dedicated Peer Supporters at groups.

Often numbers at groups can be low and this falls in line with areas where there isn’t as much community involvement and so FAB aren’t as visible.

Fundraising – events need to be of the kind that we can also do some much needed fundraising alongside support and signposting. It can be difficult to find people with the confidence to volunteer in these areas.

Events

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Social Value

Although our support groups remain the primary focus of the work we are doing in FAB Dorset. We understand the need for continuing to develop links within the Communities where we have a presence. We are becoming more visible as a network of breastfeeding mums who are normalizing and celebrating breastfeeding. We now host regular coffee mornings at venues such as Ludo Lounge, we have FABFest which is a Community Fun Day and this year we hosted Babies on the Beach.

Alongside this we understand that our support can go further than the initial breastfeeding support we offer, and so through the shop we can now help with supporting the local council nappy schemes which can aid a family financially as well as considering our environmental impact. We also offer a free school uniform initiative, this can be a swap shop, by donation to the charity or simply come and take any available items that you may need which families are finding so helpful during the current cost of living crisis.

We took the support one step further through the shop donations in sending items that we are unable to sell or recycle to the Ukraine appeal, which sees items that could potentially end up in landfill finding a new home with families much in need of everyday essentials.

Training

We've had another good year with the FAB training programme this year. We have trained a total of 27 people as FAB Peer Supporters, this has included volunteers in Wakefield, Bolton and Dorset as well as 3 new members of the FAB Team. We have also trained Peer Supporters through our partnership working with Defence as well as other organisations and self funding individuals wishing to access the FAB accredited training programme.

The ongoing support and training programme is still growing and now includes a dedicated Facebook group for updates on support, information and training.

Training Feedback

“I thought the training was very informative and as a breastfeeding geek also found it incredibly interesting. Thanks to the friendly language used to explain each subject, I felt it was accessible and straightforward to understand and remember information. I loved that together with the practical knowledge about latching and positioning babies and how to support mums, there was also a great explanation of why breastfeeding is nowadays a endangered practice and the background of where and why this decline started. I loved the training and I am sure I will find myself going back to those pages times and times again.”

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“Thank you so much! I have truly enjoyed the whole experience and learned some very valuable information that I hope will help, not only during my journey with FAB, but myself in my next breastfeeding experience. You’re support throughout has been amazing - Thank you again!”

“Here are a few specific examples of how your enthusiasm and knowledge has positively impacted my learning experience:

  1. Your contagious energy and excitement during the training sessions have made the material come alive. It's so much easier to stay engaged and focused when you can feel the trainer's passion for the subject.

  2. Your enthusiasm has created a positive and motivating atmosphere in the training sessions. It's refreshing to see someone who genuinely loves what they do, and it inspires me to approach the material with the same level of enthusiasm.

  3. Your support has helped me stay motivated throughout the training. Even when the material gets challenging, your positive attitude and encouragement remind me that I can overcome any obstacles and keep pushing forward.

I really appreciate how your help support enthusiasm has made a difference in my learning journey thank you so much.”

The next 12 months

THE FAB Dorset shop is a great space for the community and over the coming year we would like to develop the support, connections, and overall community warmth that customers and service users say we offer.

Some of our groups our extremely well attended, others are quieter. Over the coming year we need to look at recruiting more volunteers for certain areas as well as the different volunteering roles available within FAB. Also, to consider making changes to some groups that will connect more positively with mums and families enabling them to benefit from the different types of support FAB offer.

We have made incredible connections with DBN (Defence Breastfeeding Networking). Attending groups, meetings, conferences and much more. Over the next year we would like to strengthen these connections and in turn develop new links for training and group opportunities throughout the UK.

With Fab Fest and Babies on the Beach being such successful events to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week, not only would we like to continue these wonderful events year on year, but we also hope to host and attend events where FAB are the main focal point and where we can not only celebrate breastfeeding and the support we offer but also fundraise for us to be able to continue empowering families on their breastfeeding journeys.

Thoughts and comments from Mums

“Today marks 6 months EBF 37 It's been far from a straightforward journey and I can't believe we've made it this far; there were times I didn't even think we'd make it to 6 weeks! I just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone at the Wimborne group who have got me this far. Sometimes it was just the thought "If I just carry on until Tuesday 1| can ask xyz question at group" that got me through and carried me. Thank you for helping me grow our boy”

“ I went to the Fab group in Wimborne with my first and have popped in there this time with my 2nd and the southbourne one too and believe me when I say these groups are so lovely and welcoming, and all mums are going there not only for breast feeding support but to meet other BF mummy's, please try, most mums feel really nervous, the people running the group are incredibly knowledgeable and super lovely xx”

“found the support of my breast-feeding peer supporter and feeding group amazing at my time in Blandford Dorset. I fully believe I wouldn't have continued with feeding without this support!”

End of Year Report: Charity Commissions 2024

Report Period: April 2024 – March 2025 Prepared by: Kimberley Wild Date: 05/05/2025

Introduction

2024 has been an exceptional year for our charity, marked by continued community engagement, meaningful volunteer contributions, and impactful events. We’ve been able to foster new partnerships, contribute to local causes, and ensure that our community’s needs are met through both direct support and collaboration with other organizations. This report summarizes the key highlights, achievements, and ongoing projects that have defined our charity’s impact throughout the year.

Staff Contributions and Volunteer Engagement

  1. Holiday Hours Donation

  2. In a demonstration of incredible generosity, our dedicated staff members donated 91 holiday hours back to the charity. This act of goodwill has allowed us to continue serving our community and further extend our reach in the coming year.

  3. Community Payback Partnership

  4. On 20th August 2024 , we officially signed up to work with Community Payback . This collaboration has resulted in 7 successful placements so far, providing individuals with valuable skills while supporting our charitable efforts.

  5. Volunteer Hours

  6. Over the last 12 months, we have been fortunate to have the support of 9 dedicated volunteers , who collectively contributed approximately 2,350 volunteer hours . Their unwavering commitment has been instrumental in driving our initiatives forward, ensuring that we have the manpower to support our community projects and events.

Community Events and Outreach

1. Free School Uniform

Ongoing Services and Support

  1. Breastfeeding Support Drop-In Service

  2. We continue to provide a drop-in breastfeeding support service , available Monday to Friday from 10am to 3pm . While attendance has been sporadic , we have successfully supported 36 families through these sessions over the year. These sessions offer essential guidance, reassurance, and peer support to new parents during a crucial stage of their journey.

  3. Bolton Helpline Launch

  4. In June 2024 , we launched the Bolton Helpline , which operates Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm . This service provides vital phone-based support and guidance, receiving an average of 5 to 10 calls per week . The helpline has already become a valuable point of contact for individuals seeking immediate assistance, emotional support, or information about available resources.

Referral Scheme & Donations to Families in Need

  1. Referral Scheme Contributions Through our Referral Scheme , we have been able to support individuals and families facing financial hardship. Thanks to the generosity of our partners and local community members, we’ve provided essential items to those in need, ensuring that no one goes without the basics they deserve.

  2. Cosatto Pram Donation A special thanks to Cosatto , who generously donated prams to us, which some were donated to families in need. These donations have been life-changing for many, providing young families with essential items they otherwise could not afford.

  3. Community Donations We are also incredibly grateful to the local community for their donations of unwanted items . These contributions have allowed us to pass along a wide variety of goods—including clothing, toys, and household items—directly to families who were

struggling financially. The kindness of our donors has made a direct impact on those in need.

Partnerships and Future Collaborations

  1. Job Centre Plus Partnership Back in February 2025 , we are excited to announce that we have signed up to work with the Local Job Centre Plus to provide voluntary work experience opportunities. This partnership will give individuals in the community valuable work experience, improving their prospects while contributing to our ongoing projects.

  2. Aviva Award 2025

  3. We are thrilled to share that in March 2025 , we won a £5,000 prize at the Aviva Community Fund Awards ! This generous funding will be used to support our continued efforts in providing essential services and running community programs. We are grateful for the recognition and support from the Aviva Community Fund.

Looking Ahead

As we move into 2025, we are committed to further expanding our efforts to support the local community. We plan to continue our partnerships with Community Payback, Rotary Club of Turton, and Job Centre Plus, while also seeking new opportunities to engage and assist those in need. With the continued support of our dedicated staff, volunteers, and local partners, we are excited for what the coming year holds.

Conclusion

This year has been a time of growth, community, and generosity. We’ve made a tangible difference in the lives of those we serve, and we look forward to continuing our mission in 2025. Thank you to all our volunteers, staff, and partners who have made these achievements possible. Together, we’ve created lasting positive change, and we remain dedicated to improving the lives of those around us.

End of Report
Annual Report
Service:
Period Covered: 1stApril 2024 – 31stMarch 2025
Completed by: (name and position) Sharon Hughes, Branch Manager, Families and Babies Wakefield
Date submitted 7thMay 2025
The service will provide an Annual Quality Report to give the Council assurance that care is safe; clinically effective; and provides service users with the most
positive patient experience. This report will be used to assure the Council of the quality of service delivered also containing performance indicators against targets
with review of their progress. The service will demonstrate compliance with best practice and improved outcomes through undertaking relevant clinical audits as
part of an annual audit programme.

Service User/Staff Involvement

Please provide evidence that the service has engaged with service users

Throughout the year, FAB received 1,627 referrals into the service. The percentage of mums accepting support increased from 86% in Q1 up to an amazing 96% in Q4. Of the referrals received, 96% were contacted within 48 hours of their referral with a triage phone call, SMS (when phone call was not answered) or letter (when phone call and SMS were not answered, or where a telephone number was not provided during referral).

We also gave support to mums on ward at Pinderfields Hospital. This year, we commenced offering support on ward during the evenings from 6-9pm. The feedback received from both parents and hospital staff about this increase in service has been wholly positive.

FAB engaged in 43 different community focused events during the 2024-25 period, 67% of which were in high priority areas. These events allow us to raise public awareness of FAB’s service offerings as well as allowing us to promote breastfeeding and the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative.

During the year, we ran 379 Breastfeeding groups throughout the Wakefield District, with over 1,150 parents or family supporters attending. Each group is led by at least one trained breastfeeding peer supporter, so in addition to the groups being an excellent social outlet for parents, they can also attend to get support with breastfeeding. We have increased the number of groups offered this year, strategically disturbing new groups in locations throughout District to reduce travel required by parents to access support. We now have 2 groups per day, each weekday.

We have increased number of Home visits accepted throughout the year, from a total of 135 in Q1 to 192 in Q4. In order to increase the availability of staff to carry out home visits, we have had a focus on recruiting and training new volunteers throughout the year, and having volunteers take on responsibilities such as running our weekly groups.

We have also seen increased levels of engagement with service users via phone support. Q4 was our busiest quarter by far, with 245 calls received outside of business hours, compared to 187 calls in Q1. We have increased the percentage of volunteers staffing the helpline from 39% in Q1 to 45% in Q4 and we plan to continue increasing this percentage in 2025-26.

FAB Data collection form Q4 2024-25.xlsx

Please provide evidence of improvements made to services as a result of user feedback including formal complaints

This year, we conducted a user survey into our breastfeeding groups to determine if there were improvements we could make in order to increase attendance at some weekly groups. Some outcomes from this survey is that users would like a group in the city centre and in the Horbury/Ossett area. They also requested that all groups run throughout the year (Sunbeam was term time only) and that there be consistency with the group leader where possible. As a result of these comments, we have started a group at Wakefield One in Wakefield City Centre, and will have a group running in Horbury Library from May 2025. We have now assigned each group to a single leader, and we are aiming to have a second volunteer also attend to allow that feeling of consistency when one leader is not available. We have also agreed with Sunbeam Family Hub that the group there will run outside of term time as well.

2 negative comments were received on our Q3 quarterly survey, regarding availability of peer supporters on ward. This can happen depending on the number of mums requiring breastfeeding support on a given day, as well as the length of mum’s stay in hospital. Peer supporters on ward will prioritise their caseload to see the most in need of support first. They may also be approached by midwives on ward with more urgent cases as the day goes on, which can lead to some mums not receiving a visit on ward. It is difficult to predict the caseload on any given day as not all mums on ward will breastfeed, and equally, we have had days were all breastfeeding or combi-feeding mums on ward are seen and even offered a repeat bedside visit. We are addressing the shortage by exploring using volunteer peer supporters on ward.

Only one formal complaint was received during the 2024-25 period. In September we received a complaint to Head Office from a service user who felt that she had not received sufficient support from FAB, and had not been contacted back after leaving messages. We conducted a thorough review of all our contacts with this user, however, could not find a record of any calls from her number to our service. We received a referral from Pinderfields for her, and made multiple attempts to contact her using the details supplied (via call, SMS and letter), however, we had no response to any of our contacts. We emailed her following her complaint to apologise for not providing the level of support she wanted and to request further details so we could fully investigate how messages could have been missed, but we received no response. As the results of the investigation into this complaint did not show any instances of staff not following contact procedure, or of messages being missed or ignored, we were satisfied that no changes to process were needed.

Please attach the results of any surveys for services users, carers and staff carried out over the last 12 months.

Survey Monkey Q1 Survey Monkey Survey Monkey Q4 survey 2024.pdf Q2.pdf Q3.pdf monkey.pdf

Please provide details and a copy of any reports regarding Involvement of appropriate service users in planning, evaluating and reviewing delivery of the service and evidence of any engagement techniques used e.g. peer education

See section above on group improvements.

We have also put in place infrastructure to allow us to conduct Mother Audits in the coming year. These audits are a requirement of our aim to achieve UNICEF BFI accreditation, however the feedback that we receive from the mother’s who take part in the audit process will be used to shape and improve the service.

Partnership working

~~PT~~ Please detail how you work in partnership with other organisations (e.g. alcohol, mental health etc.)

We attended 22 different business/partnership focused events during the 2024-25 period. These events allow us to raise awareness of our service with other services who may interact with families who need our support as well as to gain valuable updates and insights into the other services available to Wakefield residents.

Notably this year we have developed a unique referral process for the FNP team and young parents-to-be in their care. As young mums are typically unlikely to breastfeed, as well as unlikely to attend antenatal education in a group setting, this relationship is invaluable, so that FAB can be introduced at an appropriate point when the parents are making feeding decisions, with their FNP practice nurse in attendance so that there is a familiar and trusted person there to support.

We have also circulated our referral form to the Ardens System for GPs in district to make onward referrals to FAB. This was highlighted in a presentation made by FAB at the GP Target event in October.

Please also see TIW (Targeted Intervention Worker) Impact Report 2024-25 below for further details of partnership working.

Delivery

~~|~~ Please provide evidence of any equality impact assessment undertaken in the last 12 months (include copy of EIAS)

Impact Report TIW 2024-25.docx

Communications

Please provide evidence of the service communication plan or action plan in relation to the delivery of the contract

We have worked with Wakefield Council across several meetings to document, analyse and improve our Marketing and Communications strategy. The outcome of these meetings was the FAB Impact Report below as well as to explore new avenues of promoting our service with minimal cost or resource spend.

FAB Marketing and FAB Impact Communications Pla Report.pdf

Annual Spend

Breakdown to be provided as outlined in the Service Specification

This information has been provided separately to PH by Elaine Edwards, Chair of Trustees

Annual Data Extract

The core dataset shall include (at patient/attendance level) as outlined in the Service Specification:

FAB%20Data%20Rep ort%20Babies%20reac

Social Value

Please detail the social value outcomes in relation to the service (as outlined in the contract)

Many of the staff and volunteers who contribute to our service delivery will be mums who are returning to work or who may never have worked. Becoming a peer supporter can provide a stepping stone to further career progression, for example midwifery, we find that many of our volunteers develop their confidence and skills with us before moving onto employment improving outcomes for their entire families.

FAB provides flexible part-time employment opportunities in local communities that fit around school hours or other childcare provision, this increases the family income and reducing levels of poverty in local communities. Some of our volunteer roles will allow mothers to bring their babies along, fostering stronger bonds and reducing the need to find childcare.

Volunteers are required to complete the same training as our paid staff making them a valuable resource, they support FAB through facilitating the 24-hour helpline, breastfeeding groups and creating a community that provides practical and emotional support for families across the district. We know from experience that many of our volunteers will continue to support families for many years and will mentor new volunteers in their roles, sharing their skills, knowledge and passion whilst creating additional capacity in the service. All our volunteers are encouraged to sign up to Citizen Coin to earn rewards from their volunteering activities.

FAB recruit both paid staff and volunteers from within local communities, providing full training and supervision. FAB volunteers commit as much time as they are able, removing the barriers of childcare and other life commitments. Our accredited training is delivered online and is accessible to mothers who struggle with childcare and busy family lives.

Breastmilk is the perfect sustainable food for a baby, it has minimal wastage and requires no manufacturing or transport. It therefore has no negative impact on the environment. Promoting and supporting breastfeeding has a beneficial impact on mothers, their infants and our environment. In addition, there are financial and other benefits to our society; breastfeeding can lessen the financial impact of having a baby as well as reducing the cost to the NHS for hospital readmissions as evidenced by UNICEF research.

Service overview

Please describe any successes or challenges the service has faced over the last 12 months

Please highlight any challenges or opportunities that the service may face over the next 12 months. Please include details of how you will manage these.

• We are looking to increase our antenatal offering in the new year as there has been a decrease in attendance in recent months. We have trained 2 additional staff to deliver these training sessions, and we have had interest from additional volunteers who are currently completing their peer support training. Finding suitable locations to host antenatal training has been a struggle, particularly as the preferred times and dates are evenings and weekends, which requires late-opening venues, or gaining key holder access. We are currently trialling 2 new venues for classes (in addition to the 2 venues which have been used during 2024-25) as well as different times for classes.

Any other comments or issues you would like to raise?

Many thanks for taking the time to complete this annual report. Please return to phcommissioning@wakefield.gov.uk

Updated 31.01.22