Notes
Funding:
Belfast City Council through Better Belfast, Blooming Bottoms Nappy Laundry
Service, Invest NI
Aims:
To support the normalisation of real nappy use in Northern Ireland and
expand provision of nappy laundry services across Northern Ireland. To
support Northern Ireland parents in reducing the overall environmental
impact of modern parenting, including nappy use.
Scheme:
The Northern Ireland Nappy Partnership is being established by BORN to
raise awareness of real nappies and the environmental impact of single-use
items. All local councils have been approached about this issue. The idea
is to present a single united message across Northern Ireland with a single
point of contact. As the scheme is an awareness and accessibility project
this includes a community education and training project, the set up of
a Northern Ireland Nappy Line, on- ward schemes, a community laundry service,
and health and childcare professional training.
Blooming Bottoms laundry service offer a subsidised service to families
on low incomes for up to 3 months with the laundry service, and offer
a discount on the purchase of nappies etc. for home washing to encourage
low income families to make the most of the financial savings available
here.
The main source of interest has come from displays in ante-natal clincs
and mothers using real nappies provided by Blooming Bottoms to the Royal
Jubilee Maternity Service, Belfast. (Real nappies will be available on
ward at Altnagelvin Maternity Unit, Londonderry in March 2004.) Word of
mouth and recommendations is a close second to maternity unit presence
for raising interest.
250 hospital and community midwives and 30 Belfast based childminders
to date have been trained in real nappy use.
Mother and toddler group presentations and antenatal class training sessions
are on a rapid increase generating 10-15 enquiries every month. As a result
funding for a community education worker has been applied for.
Some existing and new nappy laundry service customers (on low incomes)
have been established as 'agents'. They get one week free laundry service
for every new customer who signs up for the service for at least one month
and one week free laundry service for every brith-to-potty pack sold.
The new customers signed up by the agent are then managed by the agent
until they get into the swing of things. There are currently five agents
in the network and this number is on the increase.
Blooming Bottoms have received 350+ enquiries since starting in March
2003. There are approximately 250 new cloth nappy users, 100 of whom are
active with the laundry service. Approximately 14% of new births in Belfast
have tried cloth nappies at home. The target of 15% full or part time
use at home by end 2005 and 25% by end 2010 is looking very achievable.
Environmental impact:
Blooming Bottoms waste packaging is reused for supplies, samples and wash
at home packs. The laundry service uses washable nappy bags rather than
disposable plastic ones. An electric van has been made available to Blooming
Bottoms for all local deliveries by B9 Larne, a wind farm energy company
and the laundry itself is also run on electric wind power. Deliveries
to outlying areas are made by staff on their way to work to reduce fuel
consumption.
Future Plans:
Health Centre drop-in training sessions. Plans are to be present in local
health centres and large GP surgeries two mornings a month with samples
and information on real nappies. These will be timed to coincide with
baby clinics. Sample packs, birth to potty packs and laundry service starter
packs will be available for sale/collection at these times. A promotional
video (made by a non-profit video production company) for use in hospitals
and GP surgery waiting rooms, is in development.
Volunteer and agent cloth nappy advisor training day.
A Northern Ireland Health and Child Care professionals information booklet
is being published and a first edition of a newsletter will be available
in early 2004.
Community Organisation Support - communal drop off points for laundry
services are organised to reduce prices to £5.75 per week (£6.90
per week is the normal price). At the time of drop-offs/collections a
training stand in community centres will be available to offer advice
to those washing at home and to introduce new families to real nappies.
Real Nappy Week: Much media attention was given to B.O.R.N. and Blooming
Bottoms during RNW 2003 and plans are underway for RNW2004. Invites to
a Real Nappy Week Planning meeting have been sent to all local councils,
social economy agencies, health trusts, social services, midwifery units,
maternity units, community groups (SureStart, Home Start, NCT, Gingerbread,
NIPPA, Multiple Birth Association, etc) health visitors and childcare
professionals. A radio advertising campaign has been planned for the week.
Vermicomposting of suitable disposable nappies.
Bio-diesel fuelled laundry vans.
Website in development.
Nappy waste prevention target of 150 tonnes for 2004.
Blooming Bottoms hopes to be able to be a safety net for non-profit services
providing research and experience in a simple
guide as well as personal consultancy work for emerging services.
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