## **Trustees' Annual Report for the period** |**Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod**|**Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod**|**Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod**|**Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod**|**Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod**|**Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod**|**Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod**|**Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod**|**Trustees' Annual Report for theperiod**| |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| |**From**|Period start date||||**To**|Period end date||| ||01
|Sept||2023||
31|Aug|2024| |South Cumbria Breastfeeding Support||||||||| |SCBS||||||||| |1166379||||||||| |29 St Mary’s Park||||||||| |Windermere||||||||| |Cumbria||||||||| |**Postcode**|||LA23 1AZ|||||| |**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year **|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**| |---|---|---|---| |Rebecca Beck|||| |Ann Bruce|||| |Jennifer Corrin|||| |Jessica Curwen|Treasurer||| |Sarah Jones||Resigned 6.7.24|| |Carissa Lough|||| |Lisa Metcalfe|Chair||| |Kathleen Miller|Secretary||| |Joanne Telford||Resigned 18.7.24|| ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** **Type of adviser Name Address** ## **Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)** Ann Bruce, Breastfeeding Counsellor and IBCLC Jessica Curwen, Treasurer Lisa Metcalfe, Chair or Trustees Kathleen Miller, Secretary ## **Section B Structure, governance and management** **Description of the charity’s trusts** Constitution Type of governing document (eg. trust deed, constitution) Charitable Incorporated Organisation How the charity is constituted (eg. trust, association, company) New trustees are appointed by existing trustees. The current trustees are Trustee selection methods all local parents who have volunteered to undertake this role. (eg. appointed by, elected by) ## **Additional governance issues (Optional information)** March **2012** **TAR** 1 South Cumbria Breastfeeding Support has a written safeguarding policy to help breastfeeding supporters who are concerned about the welfare of a child or of a vulnerable adult. South Cumbria Breastfeeding Support has a Code of Conduct by which all its representatives abide. Trustees receive no remuneration or other benefits for their work as trustees. SCBS’s Breastfeeding Counsellor, who is also a Trustee, is paid for some of her professional work as a Breastfeeding Counsellor. This is in line with SCBS’s constitution and conflicts of interest procedures. ## Section C Objectives and activities |Summary of the objects of the
charity set out in its governing
document
Summary of the main
activities undertaken for the
public benefit in relation to
these objects (include within
this section the statutory
declaration that trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit)|The object of South Cumbria Breastfeeding Support is the
advancement of health, for the public benefit, through the provision
of information, skilled help and support for mothers in and around
South Cumbria who breastfeed or wish to breastfeed their babies,
the families of those mothers and others who support them.| |---|---| ||In planning our activities for the year, the trustees have had regard
to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit.
**Breastfeeding drop-in groups**
South Cumbria Breastfeeding Support runs three drop-in groups
each week, in Ulverston, Kendal and Windermere. Mums can
come to these free groups without making an appointment, in order
to receive help or support with any aspect of breastfeeding, such
as painful feeds, slow weight gain, or continuing to breastfeed
when they return to work. Mums also come to the groups simply to
meet up with other mums who are breastfeeding, to feel part of a
supportive community and reduce their isolation.
Our groups are run by a dual-qualified IBCLC (Lactation
Consultant) and Breastfeeding Counsellor, together with volunteers
who help with the practical side of the groups e.g. meeting and
greeting, making tea etc. Many mums first attend a drop-in to get
help with a specific breastfeeding challenge, and then begin
attending regularly for the social benefits that the groups provide.
Many mums become long-term friends with people that they meet
at one of our groups.
**Online support**
We provide online support through_SCBS In It Together_(a closed
online forum) and videocall support. Both of these can be accessed
only by local families (LA and CA postcodes).
**Breast Friend Award**
This is an annual award, launched by SCBS in 2016-17, that
enables local mothers to nominate Health Professionals who have
made a significant and positive difference to their breastfeeding
journey. The Breast Friend awards aims to:| March **2012** **TAR** 2 ● highlight good practice in breastfeeding support by Health Professionals - raise awareness amongst Health Professionals and parents of the importance of good support for breastfeeding. Any Health Professional working in South Cumbria, or who has worked with a mum who lives in this area could be nominated. This could include, for example, Midwives, Maternity Assistants, Health Visitors, Obstetricians, GPs, Nurses, Paediatricians or Dieticians. ## **Liaison with local Health Professionals** We liaise with local Health Professionals, including midwives and health visitors, in order to advocate for best practice in breastfeeding support, and to ensure that our services are meeting local need. We attend meetings of Maternity and Neonatal Voices, Cumbria County Council’s Breastfeeding Strategy Group and the Infant Feeding Forum for the Local Maternity System, as well as linking up with individual practitioners in support of specific families. ## **Additional details of objectives and activities (Optional information)** You **may choose** to include further statements, where relevant, about: - policy on grantmaking; We value the contribution made by volunteers very highly. We rely on volunteers to ensure the smooth running of the groups, and to make sure that all mums have a positive experience when they come to a group, no matter how busy the group is. - policy programme related investment; - contribution made by volunteers. ## Section D Achievements and performance **Summary of the main achievements of the charity during the year** ## **In person groups** Attendances in the 2023-24 financial year have been as follows total attendances: 803; new attendees 157, which again represents a significant increase on the previous year. The majority of attendees are from the immediate local area. However, the groups have a very good reputation, which leads to people seeking them out from further afield, including from Barrow, Cockermouth, Carlisle, Kirkby Lonsdale, Lancaster, Sedbergh, Whitehaven and Workington. During this financial year, there were 288 1:1 March **2012** **TAR** 3 Section D Achievements and performance consultations during the drop-in groups. Recent feedback from mums who have attended our in-person groups includes: _‘I came to your group for the first time when my son was 3 weeks old. It was immediately welcoming and so helpful. It was so reassuring and supportive. You’re so out of your depth when you’ve just had a baby. Coming to the group felt empowering, and it was really nice to get both the amazing technical support, which was given in a gentle, collaborative way, but also the sense of community; I made lots of mum friends. We made plans to get out together for walks and baby groups, and laughed a lot - they will be friends for life! It was unbelievable that the drop-ins were available for free, three times a week, and that the support was available indefinitely.’ ‘Came very early on. Gave me advice when initially starting breastfeeding which was both helpful but also reassuring that we were on track. Found it to be even more useful than just the advice, the opportunity to socialise in the early days when baby play groups aren't suitable was great, and it was nice to have it as some structure to our day/week.’ ‘I have found the group incredibly helpful. Ann has been very kind and helpful to support our breastfeeding journey with tips of different positions to try, support in that we're doing a good job. The group makes me feel comfortable and relaxed which I find helpful setting to receive breastfeeding advice. It has also benefited my mental health, talking to other mothers who have had similar challenges and made me feel less alone when I've found thing hard.’ ‘We are all so grateful for Ann’s expertise, advice and support. Having been given lots of conflicting and bad advice whilst still continuing to struggle, I knew we needed specialist support. Finding Ann and the groups were a lifesaver. Ann gives invaluable advice and support with real specialist knowledge and experience. She is a safe person to access, non judgmental and is available outside of group via messenger and video call. It has been and continues to be a really rough and long journey for us both, but having Ann at the end of a message and in our corner is really invaluable’ ‘It was really needed for me, I remember crying at group as I just needed to be around people ‘on my side’ with breastfeeding and support in navigating self-care whilst breastfeeding! Ann was a amazing support and me and my little one would of got through our many breastfeeding challenges without her help’_ **SCBS In It Together: private online forum** March **2012** **TAR** 4 Section D Achievements and performance This closed online forum allows families to connect with us, and with each other, providing a community of support seven days a week. By the end of August 2024, there were over 1000 families in SCBS In It Together. Mums use this group to ask each other questions that they might not be able to ask elsewhere, seek informal support, and to share information: the kind of support that mums might once have been able to offer each other in a close-knit real-life community. Recent feedback about our online support includes: _‘Wouldn't hesitate to message or ask questions in the group if I needed. But have always got the support I need during the in person sessions.’ ‘It’s been so helpful. When I had issues, I was able to contact a professional for support, heard back very promptly with useful advice. Fantastic service!’ ‘The Facebook group has been invaluable for breastfeeding support. Queries and posts are answered quickly and every day of the week, allowing support to be accessed when otherwise would be unavailable (e.g. NHS, GP etc). The support received always includes useful links to research and evidence based articles and other members of the group can also post advice and their experiences which helps you to not feel so alone in your breastfeeding journey.’ ‘The group really helped me. It meant that if I had a question about breastfeeding, but couldn’t attend the group, I’d quickly get advice. The other mums on the group are really supportive and there is no judgement which is lovely!’_ **Breast Friend Award** This year, we presented the Breast Friend Award to four professionals, each from a different discipline: Jade Holmes (Midwife), Katy Burgess (Health Visitor), Dr Efthimios Valais (Paediatric Doctor) and Dr Ed Clarke (GP). Here are some quotes from the winners' nominations, which reflect the positive impact they have had on local mums’ experience of breastfeeding: _‘Katy has always been very positive and supportive of breastfeeding, reassuring me and encouraging me to go to breastfeeding groups. When we suspected that my baby had cows’ milk protein allergy (CMPA) I was very worried about her getting the nutrients she would need if I stopped having dairy. Katy took the time to really reassure me and to give me all the information that I needed to be able to carry on breastfeeding confidently, knowing that my baby was getting everything that she needed. Katy has continued to support and encourage our breastfeeding journey since then and really encourages us feeding until at least 2 years old, as per the WHO guidelines. Some other health professionals we have seen tried to tell us to stop sooner because of the CMPA. Thank you Katy!’_ March **2012** **TAR** 5 Section D Achievements and performance _‘After giving birth to my little boy, and his first feed being a bottle feed due to me just coming out of theatre, I was keen to start our breastfeeding journey as soon as possible. My son and I stayed in hospital for 5 days due to high infection markers, and on our first night I explained to Jade that my plan was to breastfeed. I had limited movement in my legs so Jade helped me to express colostrum. She also helped me to position my son so that he could feed from me. I was really anxious whether I was ‘doing it right’, so every time I nursed my baby, Jade would come to our bed and support me. This continued for our entire hospital stay. Jade was extremely encouraging and spent time with me going through all of the benefits of breastfeeding, how to express, the storing of expressed milk and use by dates - basically any question I had Jade would give an informative answer. We’re now 13 weeks into our breastfeeding journey and I have Jade to thank. If it wasn’t for her endless support whilst in hospital I think I probably would’ve ‘given up’ before we made it home.’_ **Antenatal education** We have started a collaboration with the newly formed Kendal Parent Network, to provide an antenatal class about breastfeeding. The class has run three times over the year and has covered topics such as, introduction to breastfeeding, how to be confident that their baby is getting enough breastmilk, and how to feed in a laid back position. 34 families attended over the three sessions and all who provided feedback gave a score of either 4 or 5 out of 5 when asked 'How useful was the information provided by the guest speaker?' We intend to continue to develop our relationship with Kendal Parent Network over the next year to provide more antenatal education for local families so we can support them right from the beginning of their breastfeeding journey |**Section E Financial review**|**Section E Financial review**| |---|---| |**Brief statement of the**
**charity’s policy on reserves**|| ||The trustees of South Cumbria Breastfeeding Support consider
that reserves would be needed in the event of:
a) unforeseen emergency or other unexpected need for funds
b) unforeseen day-to-day operational costs, eg employing
temporary staff to cover a long-term sick absence.
c) A source of income, such as a grant, not being renewed. Funds
might be needed to give the trustees time to take action if income
falls below expectations.
d) Planned commitments, or designations, that cannot be met by
future income alone
e) The need to fund short-term deficits in a cash budget
SCBS aims to hold reserves equating to 6 months’expenditure.| March **2012** **TAR** 6 This was agreed by trustees in November 2021. ## **Further financial review details (Optional information)** • The majority of South Cumbria Breastfeeding Support’s income comes from grant-making trusts. During 2023-2024 these included: Westmorland and Furness Council Hadfield Trust Holehird Trust Ulverston Town Council We also receive financial support from our service users. For example, cash donations from mothers at our groups online donations through JustGiving. Some service users and supporters have birthday fundraisers for us too. We are enormously grateful to our services users for their support, especially since at the time that they access our services, most of our service users are on very restricted incomes. ## **Section G Declaration** **The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** **Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees** **Signature(s)** Ann Bruce **Full name(s)** Ann Bruce **Position (eg Secretary,** Trustee Trustee **Chair, etc)** **Date** 11/06/2025 March **2012** **TAR** 7 ||**South Cumrbia Breastfeeding Support**

**Charity Name**|**South Cumrbia Breastfeeding Support**

**Charity Name**|**South Cumrbia Breastfeeding Support**

**Charity Name**|**South Cumrbia Breastfeeding Support**

**Charity Name**|**CC16a**| |---|---|---|---|---|---| ||**For the period**
**from**|01/09/2023
Period start date|**To**||| ||||||| |**Section A Receipts and payments**|||||| |**A1 Receipts**|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**4,694**
**14,175**
**-**
**12**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**18,881**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**18,881**
**18,800**
**-**
**130**
**74**
**24**
**2,676**
**-**
**-**
**96**
**216**
**40**
**-**
**22,056**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**22,056**
**- 3,175**
**-**
**12,680**
**9,505**|**Restricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**|**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
**4,694**
**14,175**
**-**
**12**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**18,881**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**18,881**
**18,800**
**-**
**130**
**74**
**24**
**2,676**
**-**
**-**
**96**
**-**
**216**
**-**
**40**
**-**
**22,056**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**22,056**
**- 3,175**|**Last year**
**to the nearest £**| |General donations|**4,694**||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**||**4,227**| |Grants|**14,175**||||**9,365**| |LotteryGrant|**-**||||**10,000**| |Other|**12**||||**177**| ||**-**||||**-**| ||**-**||||**-**| ||**-**||||**-**| ||**-**||||**-**| |**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for_
_AR)_|**18,881**||||**23,769**| ||||||| |**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**|||||| ||**-**||**-**
**-**
**-**||| ||**-**||||**-**| |**_Sub total_**|**-**||||**-**| |**_Total receipts_**
**A3 Payments**|||||| ||||**-**||**23,769**| ||||||| |BreastfeedingCounsellor Fees|**18,800**||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**||**20,400**| |Equipment|**-**||||**14**| |Refreshments|**130**||||**87**| |Website|**74**||||**74**| |Resources|**24**||||**-**| |Room Hire|**2,676**||||**2,744**| |Subscriptions|**-**||||**-**| |SundryExpenses|**-**||||**-**| |Insurance|**96**||||**177**| |Accountancy|||||**228**| |Fundraisingcosts|**216**||||**216**| |Training|||||**42**| |Bank Charges|**40**||||| ||||||| ||||||| ||||||| ||**-**||||**-**| |**_Sub total_ **|**22,056**||||**23,982**| ||||||| |**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**|||||| ||**-**||**-**
**-**
**-**||| ||**-**||||| |**_Sub total_ **|**-**||||**-**| |**_Total payments_**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**_Cash funds this year end_**|||||| ||||**-**||**23,982**| ||||||| ||**- 3,175**||
**-**||**- 213**| ||**-**||**-**
**-**|**-**
**12,680**|**-**| ||**12,680**||||**12,893**| ||**9,505**||
**-**|**9,505**|**12,680**| CCXX R1 accounts (SS) 16/06/2025 1 ## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period** |**Categories**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees
**B5 Liabilities**
**B3 Investment assets**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
**B1 Cash funds**|**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))
**Details**
CAF Bank
**Details**
Ann Bruce
Signature
_J Curwen_|**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**9,505**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**9,505**
**-**
OK
OK
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Print Name
Jessica Curwen
Ann Bruce|**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**| |---|---|---|---| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||OK| ||||**Endowment**
**funds**
**to nearest £**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**Current value**
**(optional)**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**-**| ||||**When due**
**(optional)**| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||Date of
approval| ||_J Curwen_|Jessica Curwen|11/06/2025| ||Ann Bruce|Ann Bruce|11/06/2025| CCXX R2 accounts (SS) 16/06/2025 2