Julie Crawford Award for Breastfeeding Support 2018

Nominations are now OPEN

The Baby Feeding Law Group is seeking nominations for the Julie Crawford Award for Breastfeeding Support. Nominations must be sent to Baby Milk Action (BFLG Secretariat) by 15th April 2018

On the Right is Rosemary Brown, winner of the 2016 Award.

Criteria for the Award

This Award is given by the Baby Feeding Law Group. It is open to practising health visitors or practising health visiting teams who have made significant contribution to – or have an ongoing impact on – breastfeeding support in the UK, at individual or policy level.

Nominees must have demonstrated an awareness and commitment to the protection and defence of breastfeeding, facilitating universal access for support that is independent of commercial influence.

To help publicise the call for nominations, please share the link:

http://www.babyfeedinglawgroup.org.uk/bflg/juliecrawfordaward

Information on the nomination and award process is given below.

Background

In November 2001, Julie Crawford died from a rare disease, at the age of 42. Julie was a health visitor and a former Director of Baby Milk Action. She cared passionately about breastfeeding and was never frightened to stand up and fight for the rights of mothers to independent and sensitive care. Julie 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. She was one of the first health visitors to participate in the International Breastfeeding Course at the Institute of Child Health (self-funded, since employers could not find the resources).

In 1992, she wrote in the Joint Breastfeeding Initiative newsletter about the barriers to breastfeeding support from within the health visiting and midwifery professions – where so many had not had adequate training and so many had not had adequate support for their own breastfeeding experiences and the chance to discuss the feelings this left them with: “there is no safe forum in which to reach some understanding”.  Julie also noted that “many health professionals endorse expectations of infant behaviour which damage breastfeeding” and called for “articulate voices” to promote change for mothers and for health professionals.

Guidelines for nominations

Please see the above criteria and send us a few paragraphs (around 300 words) about why you think your candidates should win. Bear in mind that this is not an award for straightforward breastfeeding support. They should also play a role in protecting parents from commercial influence (marketing, promotion); aspects that are not always obvious.

It’s not necessary at this stage for your candidates to know that they are nominated, but unless you know them well, it may be easier to write something about them if you have their cooperation. It would be helpful to the judges if you could provide contact details of someone who is willing to second your nomination.

Where to send your nomination 

Please send your nomination to Jennie Evans, Baby Milk Action Office Manager, by email info@babymilkaction.org or by post:

Baby Milk Action
4 Brooklands Avenue
Cambridge
CB2 8BB

Please remember to include contact details for yourself and your candidates (including where they work) and where possible the contact details of someone who is willing to second your nomination.

If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact Jennie at the above address or by telephone 01223 464420.

Shortlisting

Nominees will be informed of the status of their nomination and whether they have been shortlisted for the award.

The Award Winner

The winner will be notified in early April  2018.

Previous Winners

2017: Bernadette Wood

2016: Rosemary Brown

2014: Stephanie Heard

2011: Six 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

2009: Alison Spiro

2006: Annette Ogilvie-Forbes

2005: Sharon Breward

2004: Deanna Vearncombe

2003: Gill Rapley

The nomination period is open until 3rd May 2017

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