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Jane Putsey receives award

The Julie Crawford Award for Breastfeeding Support 2011

Julie Carter-Lindsay, Jo Dobson, Sue Anslow, Nicky Harrison, Sam Whittle and Kathleen Freear

Jane Putsey (second from the right) receives the award from Baby Milk Action staff.

The Julie Crawford Award for Breastfeeding Support for 2011 was won by 6 health visitor

representatives on the Infant Feeding Information Team of Blackpool and North Lancashire (IFIT):  Julie Carter-Lindsay, Jo Dobson, Sue Anslow, Nicky Harrison, Sam Whittle and Kathleen Freear.  The Awards were presented to Jane Putsey, the Chair of IFIT at Baby Milk Action’s Annual General Meeting in London on the 5th March.

One of the judges, Obi Amadi, Lead Professional Officer, UNITE/CPHVA, says:"I am delighted to see how the  winning health visitor representatives have been key to IFITs success, helping create a fantastic model that I hope will be picked up by other regions throughout the UK.  The team has shaped IFIT's agenda and  improved communication.  In just four years IFIT has markedly reduced reliance on information from baby milk companies. The regular lunch meetings with baby food industry reps that were common four years ago, are now a thing of the past in the area. Also going fast are the company pens, diary covers, age-in-weeks wheels.  IFIT has also done so much to ensure that good quality generic information about formula feeding is “out there. ”   

IFIT produces a bulletin on infant feeding for health workers called Hot Milk. IFIT also features alongside other experts in the new educational DVD, Infant Formula Explained, produced by Baby Milk Action on behalf of the Baby Feeding Law Group. The DVD provides independent, objective information on formula and how to reconstitute it in line with World Health Organisation guidance. NHS Blackpool and North Lancashire is the first region to start using the DVD in training health workers and supporting parents and carers.* 

Background: The Julie Crawford Award for Breastfeeding Support is an award given by the Baby Feeding Law Group to Health Visitors and Health Visitor Teams who have made a significant contribution to the protection of breastfeeding and who facilitate universal access to support that is free from commercial influence.  The first award was given to Gill Rapley in November 2003. The winner in 2004 was Deanna Vearncombe,  2005 Sharon Breward,  2006 Annette Ogilvie-Forbes and 2009 Alison Spiro.

The Award was set up in memory of Julie Crawford, a health visitor and a former Director of Baby Milk Action who died from a rare disease, at the age of 42 in  November 2001. Julie cared passionately about breastfeeding and was never frightened to stand up and fight for the rights of mothers to independent and sensitive care.  She was especially concerned about the extent of industry funding of education for health professionals and was also keen to push for legal action in defence of mother’s rights to breastfeed.

2011 Judges: Obi Amadi, Lead Professional Officer, UNITE/CPHVA, Sarah Saunby, The Breastfeeding Network, Latesha Richards, parent, Patti Rundall, OBE, Policy Director, Baby Milk Action.

For more information: Mike Brady: 07986 736179   Patti Rundall:  07786 523493  Jane Putsey: 07900 324672