SERVICES provided by a vital breastfeeding support group in Basingstoke have been saved for a year after Hampshire County Council agreed to fund it.

Hampshire Breastfeeding Counselling was set up in June 2013, after it was awarded funding from Hampshire County Council, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Test Valley Borough Council to provide eight breastfeeding drop-in sessions.

As reported by The Gazette, the grants ran out and the group was looking for £40,000-a-year funding to ensure the service, which runs in places such as Brookvale and Chineham, did not stop.

Following a meeting, which was attended by Hampshire Breastfeeding Counselling, county councillors Anna McNair-Scott and Elaine Still and the county council’s executive member for health and public health, Cllr Patricia Stallard, the county council agreed to fund the sessions for the remainder of the year to the tune of around £27,000.

Cllr Stallard said: “I can confirm that the county council will continue to work with health visitors, maternity services, local breastfeeding support groups and Hampshire mothers to identify a sustainable way for these services to be delivered in the future.

“Services currently available to support mothers in the local area will be maintained for the remainder of the financial year.

“As a county council we want to encourage and help Hampshire mums with breastfeeding.”