Baby Week Leeds returns! #BabyWeek2020
Baby Week Leeds is back for the fifth time between 9 – 15 November 2020 with many amazing events and activities. We’re excited to share the programme of events for #BabyWeekLeeds 2020 and invite you to visit www.babyweek.co.uk to find out more and to book your place.
Baby Week Leeds (inspired by Brazil’s ‘Semana do Bebe’) was launched in September 2016, and is an early years initiative helping to bring sectors together and celebrate all things baby. Its aim is raising awareness of the baby’s important growth and development, both mentally and physically in order to give the best start in life, whilst supporting and empowering families.
What’s On?
CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING IMAGES TO VIEW / DOWNLOAD
To give you a flavour of the week, we have organised a half-day free conference for all professionals focused on promoting the best start, maternity, mental health and health inequalities, and the experiences faced by parents, health professionals and the local authority during COVID-19.
We also have a Q&A session with experts for new and expectant parents (please book) to ask anything and everything as well as share ideas and experiences. Our partners have put on a fantastic schedule of free taster sessions for all including nutrition, music, mindfulness, bonding with your baby, story-time with Leeds Libraries and a session with Leeds City Museum.
There’s also lots on at children’s centres across Leeds from virtual events, information sharing, drop ins and socially distant walks! (see above)
Dear Future You
One highlight of this year’s celebrations will be a digital campaign ran in partnership with Women Friendly Leeds, about the new ‘Dear Future You’ initiative.
The initiative began in lockdown and encourages new and expectant parents write letters to their babies, discussing their hopes and dreams for their future. The project proudly demonstrates the deep and personal journey that parents go through and celebrates the relationship they have with their children. Parents and carers who write a letter during baby week will be entered into a prize draw with 3 winners to be chosen for an overnight stay with breakfast sponsored by Crowne Plaza Hotel Leeds, £100 Gift Card Baby Bundle by Prince Lionheart & a Parent Pamper Hamber by Scent Salim.
Find more details here.
Baby Week Forest
Baby Week are working with the Leeds City Councils’ Woodland Creation Initiative, Child Friendly Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS to create the Baby Week Forest. It is the partnerships’ proud ambition to plant a tree for every baby born in 2020.
The planting of the Baby Week forest links in with the UN Sustainable Development Goal on climate action and sustainable cities and communities. Parents and partners can learn how to get involved in this by visiting the Baby Week website.
Please visit our full calendar (above) and join the conversation on social media with #BabyWeekLeeds as we celebrate 5 years in Leeds. Please note, we will be adding more events running up to the week.
Over the last 5 years we have had hundreds of events, thousands of attendees and many connections forming across sectors and families all to promote the best start! We have also started conversations nationally to promote Baby Week in other cities and regions. In addition, there are two more Baby Weeks’ taking place across England in November 2020:
- Baby Week Bradford is back for the third time between 9 – 13 November 2020. There will be many amazing events will kick off with the Big (Virtual) Baby Rave with BoomChikkaBoom. For details of the week please visit www.babyweekbradford.org
- Cheshire and Merseyside Baby Week launches its first ever Baby Week from 16 – 22 November 2020. Their programme of events can be found at www.improvingme.org.uk and includes a very exciting event on 20 November streamed live from New York and Liverpool.
