Building on 2023 project funded by Healthy Longford

In 2023 Cuidiú Longford-Roscommon received Healthy Ireland Funding from Healthy Longford. While evaluating this program with Cuidiú  conversations took place around the need for greater understanding the role of Breastfeeding and its visualisation locally across Longford.  Further collaborative discussions took place within Local County Council Community Development Committee (LCDC) membership and with the Health & Wellbeing Steering Committee who oversee the work of Healthy Longford in the council. It was suggested that there was a need to make Longford a Breastfeeding friendly county. The role of the Healthy Ireland Coordinator and their Healthy Ireland Funding is on building relationships and strengthening partnerships between government departments, local authorities, Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs), education providers and the wider business, voluntary, community and statutory sectors. Longford’s We’re Breastfeeding Friendly initiative under Longford Breastfeeding Project is a wonderful example of such partnership in practice.

Alignment with Healthy Longford goals

This collaborative approach aligns with Longford County Councils mission of working in communities and developing partnerships which promote Longford as a dynamic, vibrant, safe, and prosperous county, celebrating its diversity, culture, heritage and, through strong leadership, building safe, healthy, and sustainable communities.  It aligns with the goals of the councils’ current Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP).

Longford Breastfeeding Project is a collaborative working group made up of various agencies working with families throughout the county. Its primary aim is to build awareness of the role of breastfeeding, along with other forms of feeding, to support all parents throughout the county. It also aims to normalise breastfeeding and works with local businesses and organisations so that they can become better able to help breastfeeding mothers. The objective of this project was to set a clear focus for 2024-2025 and set out how this could be achieved. A significant element of this was to Launch We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Longford during National Breastfeeding Week 2024.

Collaborative approach with funding through Healthy Ireland Fund

We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Longford is supported by Healthy Longford through Healthy Ireland funding. This is an interagency group made up on representatives from HSE, Cuidiú Longford-Roscommon, Longford County Council, Sláintecare Healthy Communities, Healthy Longford, Longford Libraries, Longford Community Resource Centre, TUS Midland Midwest, Longford County Childcare Committee, Longford Westmeath Child & Young Person Service Committee (CYPSC), Longford Westmeath Community Families, Longford Women’s Link, Foroige -Leap Youth Diversion Project,  Bridgeways Family Resource Centre and Lus Na Greine Family Resource Centre.

Practical community based supports

The outcomes aspired to by Longford Breastfeeding Project includes creating more better environments with greater accessibility for mothers in order for them to be able to feed with comfort. This includes ongoing work with Longford Shopping Centre and their management team to improve feeding spaces and also within the council to have facilities available in all County Longford libraries.

Longford Breastfeeding Project also focuses on education, linking in with communities across Longford to raise awareness of the support available for breastfeeding mothers. The group also aims promotes antenatal harvesting for families.

In 2025 Longford Breastfeeding Project aims to increase links with businesses and schools  while continuing with ongoing activities that have been part of this project. This project aims to continue to promote visualisation; visualisation of this project and visualisation of feeding in all its forms. Also in 2025 the project will engage with businesses in the county by linking through Longford County Council & all its relevant departments, Longford Local Enterprise Office & Longford Chambers and local social enterprises who are represented on the Longford Breastfeeding Project working group.  A number of businesses are already engaged through working with Longford Shopping Centre and Longford Chambers.

Successful launch of We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Longford

One of the outcomes set for Longford Breastfeeding Project was to have a launch We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Longford initiative during National Breastfeeding week 2024. This happened on Monday 7 October in Edgeworthstown Library. There were over seventy people in attendance including families, children, community members, agencies, collaborating partners, local County Councillors, members of staff of Longford County Council.  There were five speakers each focusing on different aspects around breastfeeding and the impact that Longford Breastfeeding Project will have in the county. This launch created an opportunity to build new relationships with families who were not previously aware of all the supports or services available in their communities locally.

Longford Breastfeeding Project has provided great benefits in the fact that there is strong engagement between all relevant services working with families whether that be statutory services, voluntary service, or medical services.

Positive reaction to the project and launch

Feedback regarding the outcomes set for Longford Breastfeeding Project has been positive. The greatest feedback came from the launch of We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Longford which took place during National Breastfeeding Week 2024. The theme for National Breastfeeding Week 2024 was “Supporting you from bump to baby & beyond”. This summed up the working group of Longford Breastfeeding Project well as the various collaborating agencies work with families through different stages.

The launch of We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Longford has been positive with Ciara Reilly of Cuidiú Longford-Roscommon stating:

“Mothers who have agency over how to feed their babies are going to have better mental health and a more content existence. Mothers who can’t feed their babies the way they want to have lost that agency”

Speaking about Longford Breastfeeding Project Ciara noted “There’s a lot of different agencies involved, and Healthy Longford has brought them all together & formed this collaborative group.”

More details about Longford Breastfeeding Project can be found on Longford County Council website under Healthy Longford or by using hashtag #LongfordBFP on social media.  Please email [email protected] for more information regarding this initiative or if you are interested in any other Healthy Longford initiatives. .