Category: Uncategorised

North West BAPS Walking Group 

We will be walking along the Quay this morning (Monday 10 June) and stopping off at the City Hotel Derry for a cuppa and a chat about all things perinatal & parenting. Meet us anywhere along the way. All welcome – we will be setting off from the Statues at Sainsbury’s at 10.30am ?‍♀️?

Breastfeeding and Perinatal Support for the week ahead 

Handy list of local, online and telephone support available for the week ahead – compiled by North West BAPS ?

Save the Date: North West BAPS Network Celebration of World Breastfeeding Week

North West BAPS looks forward to celebrating World Breastfeeding Week – we will be hosting an event on Saturday 3 Aug 2024 in collaboration with members of the North West BAPS Network and other organisations and friends in the community. The event will be held at St. Columb’s Park House & Gardens, with lots of activities & information relating to breastfeeding, perinatal and parental support. If you would like to host a stand or volunteer to help out on the day, give us a shout on nwbaps@gmail.com ?

North West BAPS Network

There was an excellent turnout at the online North West BAPS Network meeting last week – brilliant opportunity to discuss progress and issues with a wide range of participants including parents, representatives from support organisations and the Council. Minutes and actions will be shared shortly – we look forward to collaborating with others to help ensure that local families who want to breastfeed, receive the support they need to do so successfully. The next North West BAPS Network meeting will be held in person in the Autumn. Let us know if you would like to join the Network.

Photo Credit: Alexandra_Koch

Have a great week ahead!

Maria, Noella, Sinead, Jessica & Joanie

On behalf of North West BAPS

Follow North West BAPS on Facebook and Instagram

Email nwbaps@gmail.com

Here’s our Monica Downey of Life Cycles in conversation with Rosalind from NIRN and Jonathan Henderson from DCSDC. It’s National Bike Month! There’s so much going on!

Come down to Life Cycles at the Train Station to find out more. If you want to begin, or return to cycling, come and join a led cycle along our greenways, meet likeminded folks and develop confidence to get out there!

Links:

Life Cycles ZWNW

Life Cycles on Facebook

PODCAST made by Lynda Sullivan for the ABC of Green Politics.

Water is Life is the Theme for The Gathering and  Lynda interviews Mary McGuiggan and James Orr .

Aren’t our members and friends just Fab!!!

?PODCAST ALERT?

W is for… Water is Life ?

#LoughNeagh, #Mobuoy, Big Ag, #Mining , Sand dredging, #RightsofNature

I was personally delighted to be invited to attend the Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) meeting on Wednesday gone. ZWNW was invited to attend by Dean of River Faughan Anglers (RFA) to stand and be counted, along with Prehen Historical and Environmental Society (PHES). We wanted that DCSDC keep to their agreement of letting us “stakeholders” (we prefer citizens) who participated in the process of compiling the Arloesi planning report, see the report and be afforded the opportunity to consider and comment before it is finalised.

Thank you to Councillors Garry Donnelly and Shaun Harkin for sticking up for us.

It is very import that “The Gathering” continues to bring groups like ours together and important that we are holding statutory agencies to account.

We were delighted to have the previous decision made by DCSDC Governance and Strategic Planning Committee reversed and for the information to be shared.

On Saturday 30th March Zero Waste North West members organised a protest which turned into a lament at the spot of the ecocide of 4 trees (3 very mature trees and one smaller tree a few metres away) behind the Guildhall at Harbour Square.

They left gifts of flowers, art speaking for the trees and sang songs of solidarity, connection and gratitude to the earth. They also left protection orders around the remaining trees. The children joined in the protest at the destructive actions of the DCSDC by wearing animal masks, holding signs such as “No Trees to climb” and drew pictures of birds in their nests who may have chosen these trees to nest in.

We have nothing against the artwork, but we simply believe there are plenty of locations it could have gone without the need to destroy trees.

“Every single tree is a planetary frontline; a call to defend and co-exist.” Peter Doran.

DCSDC was the first Council on the island of Ireland to propose and agree to the Rights of Nature. We are, therefore, shocked by the unnecessary destruction of these trees through a joint decision of the Council and the Department of Infrastructure.
We are further saddened to hear of the cutting down of mature Cherry Trees on the Ebrington site – and we wish to raise this as yet another example of the disregard for the value of trees and nature by our decision-makers.

Maeve O Neill said “It is unacceptable for the Council to be cutting down trees during nesting season. This action completely contradicts any positive climate action the Council are attempting. No doubt they will find justification for their environmental harm but ordinary people see through this. We have so little tree coverage in the Council area. Every tree matters and Council should be leading the way in protection rather than leading the charge in destruction.”

Zero Waste North West are requesting a formal meeting with the relevant council decision-makers to discuss the council’s plan for planting new trees and nurturing established trees(including ancient woodland) in the City and wider District.

We believe, as Peter Doran put it, that “There is literally no substitute for the art of nature”

Mums and babies from across Derry City & Strabane District Council area came together last week with staff from some of the key local breastfeeding and perinatal support services to attend a special celebration of World ‘Breastfeeding in Public’ Day organised by North West BAPS.

Special thanks to Mayor of Derry City & Strabane District Patricia Logue for supporting the event. We greatly enjoyed listening to Gráinne Evans sharing her beautiful poem ‘Nursing in Public’ and she has kindly given permission to share this here with you. 

Details of the event and further photos can be found in this article by the Derry News. North West BAPS has also compiled a reel to celebrate breastfeeding in public, based on photographs shared by local mums of breastfeeding their children while out and about.

North West BAPS Walking Group 

Fancy a walk? Meet us at Sainsbury’s at 10.30am (Mon 26 Feb) for a stroll to The City Hotel Derry for a cuppa and a chat 

All welcome – while the main focus of North West BAPS is for more accessible and timely support for parents who want to breastfeed, we would also like to see improvements in many other aspects of perinatal support and services for families.

Breastfeeding and Perinatal Support for the week ahead

Lots of support available this week. Check out these in-person groups if you need some help with breastfeeding and follow us on Facebook or Instagram for up to date information on a range of sources of support for new parents.

Women’s Health & Wellbeing Day – Tuesday 27 Feb 11am – 3pm

We are looking forward to having a stand at this event in VOID Art Gallery on Tues 27 Feb organised through The Churches Trust.

Maybe see you there?

Hope you have a great week!

Maria, Noella, Sinead, Jessica & Joanie

On behalf of North West BAPS

Follow North West BAPS on Facebook and Instagram

Email nwbaps@gmail.com

North West BAPS Walking Group

Fancy a wee dander out this morning? Wrap up well and join us at the Statues over at Sainsburys for a walk along the Quay, and then into the City Hotel for a nice hot cuppa!

North West BAPS Network Meeting

Thanks to everyone who participated in the North West BAPS Network Meeting last week. There was a great turnout, and we look forward to the next meeting (date to be arranged for June) to find out how everyone is getting on with efforts to increase awareness, visibility and support for breastfeeding in our Council area. If you would like to get involved in the Network, or have ideas for a collaboration give us a shout on nwbaps@gmail.com 

Breastfeeding and Perinatal Support for the week ahead

If you have any queries with feeding your baby, you can contact the delivery ward anytime up to 28 days postpartum. You can also contact your midwife or health visitor during working hours.

Here is a handy list of in-person breastfeeding support available locally this coming week. There’s also lots of great telephone & online support out there – see our social media pages for further details.

Have a great week!

Maria, Noella, Sinead, Jessica & Joanie

On behalf of North West BAPS

Follow North West BAPS on Facebook and Instagram

Email nwbaps@gmail.com