A CAKE in the shape of a pair of breasts was at the centre of a celebration to mark a milestone event at a drop-in clinic.

The centrepiece turned heads at Brookvale Village Hall on Friday, 15 September when mums and dads gathered to celebrate 1,000 women being offered support from the breastfeeding clinic.

The clinic was set up in 2011 by Basingstoke NCT (National Childbirth Trust) and is one of just two specialist drop-ins run by professional breastfeeding counsellors in the borough, and the only one funded by donations, fundraising and grants, including the Mayor’s Fund.

Since 2011, now more than 1,000 women have visited the advice clinic for support with breastfeeding their babies.

Mindy Noble, a breastfeeding counsellor, said: “It’s fantastic to have this drop-in running and it’s a real pleasure to support this many mums. For all of you here who have been supported, thank you for coming.”

She added: “It is so important to support mums with breastfeeding as we know that breastfed babies have significantly fewer GP visits and hospital admissions in the first year due to the protective effect of the mother’s immunity passed through the milk to the baby. For mums there are better outcomes too with reduced breast cancer rates in women who breastfeed. We know the NHS is under huge pressure financially so this is a great outcome”

Borough deputy mayor councillor Sean Keating attended to join in with the celebrations and encouraged organisers to apply for funding from the council.

Lindsay Lawman, who has campaigned for breastfeeding support for mums to continue in the town after Hampshire County Council grants ended in 2015, said: “Most of the council funded drop-in centres have closed so it’s vital to keep this breastfeeding support going and it’s a constant struggle to make sure there’s enough money. It’s run by professional women and they should be paid for what they do. The counsellors have degrees and what they do is incredibly valuable.”

The 37-year-old mother-oftwo, from Brookvale, was supported by the drop-in clinic, and added: “Mindy came to the hospital after my second was born. We had some issues and I was so grateful to have Mindy there to help me out which made our journey so much smoother.”

Those at the celebration enjoyed cake and a cup of tea, while the breastfeeding dropin was run in a private room at the back of the hall.

To support the fundraising campaign, text ‘BBFC50’ with an amount up to £10 to 70070.