The School of Babywearing™ was specifically founded in 2010 as a social enterprise and community interest company in order to fulfil its vision and mission.
Our Vision
Our vision is of a world community where all parents and carers of babies understand the benefits and practice of babywearing and consequently all babies are joyously and safely carried in suitable baby slings or carriers for as long as they both choose to.
Our Mission
Our mission is to promote the benefits and practice of babywearing widely throughout the UK and beyond, reaching both expectant and new parents as well as health care professionals. We aim to provide up to date useful information about safely wearing babies and children in all types of slings and baby carriers. As a social enterprise, we use our profits to fund the work that we do.
The Board of Directors
The School of Babywearing™ was founded by Karen Hunt and Victoria Ward, Mums who are passionate about babywearing and who have over fifteen years of babywearing experience between them. The current Directors are:
Victoria is an Executive Director of the School. She is Mum of four little people, all who have been carried in baby slings and carriers (her youngest is shown here, being babyworn at the age of one week). She is an NCT Antenatal teacher, Antenatal & Baby Yoga teacher and Baby Massage instructor and runs her own business, Bumps to Babies.She also runs a retail business, Slings and Baby Carriers, with her husband Jake and has been a qualified Babywearing Consultant since March 2010. Email Victoria at victoria@schoolofbabywearing.com
Jake is an Executive Director of the School. He has worn his youngest three children extensively and has worked with parents since 2008, offering sling advice to Mums & Dads alike.
Clair has over 16 years experience of working in support of new parents and infants, having spent time as a Special Care Baby Unit staff nurse, registered health visitor and baby massage practitioner. She has also been a family services manager of a children’s centre, and is the founder of Family Nurturing CIC, a social enterprise based in Warwickshire.She currently also enjoys being mother of two teenagers, as well as co-director (with their dad) of a small distribution company which supplies a model of food dehydrator to caterers, restaurants, produce growers, nutritionists and individuals across the UK and Europe.
Sarah is the founder of Nursing Nurture, an independent health visiting and breastfeeding support service. She is a registered nurse and qualified Health Visitor and has worked extensively in the NHS.Sarah has also qualified as a Breastfeeding Counsellor and Lactation Consultant and is a member of the Royal College of Nursing, Lactation Consultants of Great Britain and the International Lactation Consultant Association.
Nicole Hastie is lucky mum to Ruth (8) and Meg (3). She qualified as a Babywearing Consultant with the School of Babywearing in April 2012 and owns a small sling consultancy and sales business, Serenity Supplies. She is passionate about sharing the benefits of babywearing with parents and has done so for many years through her work as a Trustee for Gloucestershire Breastfeeding Supporters Network
Michelle is a school practice nurse and has many years experience working in the community and education sector. Michelle is also a HSE first aid trainer and a child protection trainer for Surrey Safeguarding children board. She is a busy Mum of 3 children aged 1, 12 and 15 years old, but still finds time to run a local Sling Meet and Sling Library. A committed member of a local breastfeeding support group, Michelle is also nearing completion of her breastfeeding counsellor training.
