18th July 2025
Ahead of World Breastfeeding Week in August, Belfast Trust’s Health Visitor Service reflect on achieving the prestigious Gold Achieving Sustainability Award with a special awards presentation.
In February 2025, Belfast Trust Health Visiting Service was awarded Highly Commended in the UNICEF Baby Friendly GOLD award.
This award is granted to services able to demonstrate and achieve sustainability in delivering and implementing the Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) standards. The BFI standards support, protect and promote the best possible care for mothers and babies in building close, loving relationships and in feeding babies to optimise health and development for all.
At the recent celebration event, the service was delighted to have the interim Chief Executive Maureen Edwards present Gold Plaques to each of the Health Visiting Teams. Also in attendance at the presentation was Director of Nursing Olga O’Neill, BFI Guardian Kerrylee Weatherall, Service Manager Eileen Woods and ASMs, IFT and health visiting staff.
The UNICEF award recognises that the service has demonstrated sustained and excellent support for breastfeeding, and parent and child relationships.
This means that future generations of babies, their mothers and families will have the assurance of continued high standards of care.
The award is a recognition that the service is not only implementing the Baby Friendly Initiative standards – which aims to protect, promote and support breastfeeding – but that they also have the leadership, culture and systems to maintain this over the long term.
It was a true celebration and recognition of all the hard work and dedication of our staff to the children and families we support.
Our Health Visiting service will also be taking part in this year’s Breastival, a week-long event next month which aims to support and normalise breastfeeding.
