SERVICES provided by a vital breastfeeding support group in Basingstoke could be lost after its funding ran out.

Hampshire Breastfeeding Counselling was set up in June 2013 after being awarded funding from Hampshire County Council, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Test Valley Borough Council to provide eight breastfeeding drop-in sessions. The sessions, which run in Chineham, Brookvale, Kingsclere, Tadley, Whitchurch and Overton, were set up following a request from Action for Children – a charity which manages children’s centres across the country and provides specialist advice to breastfeeding mothers.

However, the grants have now run out and the group is looking for £40,000-a-year funding to ensure the important service is not lost.

Basingstoke MP Maria Miller visited a drop-in session in Basingstoke last Friday to see how the service helps mums, and is now trying to help the group secure funding.

Breastfeeding counsellor Fiona Robertson told The Gazette that 474 mothers registered at one of the drop-in sessions during the last 12 months.

According to an evaluation completed by the group, 93 per cent of mothers felt their issues were fully or partially resolved after attending a session, and 87 per cent said their confidence had improved as a result of attending a session.

Mrs Robertson, who has two children, said: “I think she [Maria Miller] got a lot out of the visit and I am hoping she is going to take some action on our behalf and help to get the funding we need.

“The sorts of things women come for quite often are soreness and we help them with feeding so we spend time with them helping them to change their position and the way they are feeding. A lot of them come to understand more and to get more confidence in what they are doing.”

She added: “These grants have now finished but the project has been really successful and we have had a lot of mothers come to the drop-ins. It makes a big difference for their ability to breastfeed their babies.”

Mrs Miller said the group provides “very important support to mothers,” adding: “I think it is important to try and look at a way of trying to support that expertise to work alongside health visitors and midwives to support mothers throughout the important early years.

“I will be talking to Action for Children and also our hospital and midwife service to see what can be done to make sure that this important service is safeguarded for mums in the future.”