Infant Feeding Clinic Volunteers & Practitioners

Help us transform infant feeding support across Warwickshire

 

From January 2027, Beyond the Bump UK CIC will be launching a new programme of free, community-based infant feeding drop-in clinics, funded by Warwickshire County Councillors, Stratford Town Trust and Love Rugby Trust.

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We'll be running one clinic each month in Warwick, Leamington Spa, Stratford-upon-Avon and Rugby, bringing together a range of practitioners and community volunteers to help families access the support they need, when they need it.

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Our vision is simple: no parent should feel alone, overwhelmed or unsure where to turn when feeding their child becomes difficult.

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We're looking for passionate professionals and welcoming community volunteers who want to help us make this vision a reality.

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Why these clinics matter

 

Feeding challenges don't always end after the newborn stage.

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Parents may experience difficulties in the first few days, several months into their feeding journey, when introducing solids, or as their child grows. Yet accessing timely, affordable and joined-up support can be incredibly difficult.

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Families can find themselves navigating different services, receiving conflicting advice or paying privately for specialist support that isn't accessible to everyone.

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We want to change that.

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Our clinics will be free to attend, with no upper age limit, supporting families with breastfeeding, bottle feeding, combination feeding, weaning and the many other challenges that can arise throughout a child's feeding journey.

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Rather than expecting parents to work out which professional they need, we want to bring different areas of expertise together in one accessible place.

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Whether a parent needs feeding guidance, reassurance, specialist assessment or support to understand what might be contributing to their child's difficulties, our aim is to help them find the right next step.

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These are dedicated feeding support clinics, not social coffee mornings, although creating a warm, compassionate and non-judgemental environment will be central to everything we do.

 

Who are we looking for?

 

We're recruiting for two types of volunteer opportunities, and we'd love to hear from anyone who feels they could contribute.

 

1. Qualified feeding and infant wellbeing practitioners

 

We're keen to bring together professionals with a wide range of expertise, recognising that feeding challenges are not always straightforward and can involve several contributing factors.

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This could include:

• International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs)

• Breastfeeding counsellors and infant feeding specialists

• Midwives and health visitors

• Tongue-tie specialists and qualified assessment practitioners

• Paediatric osteopaths and craniosacral therapists

• Infant bodywork and movement practitioners

• Speech and language therapists with paediatric feeding expertise

• Dietitians and nutrition professionals specialising in infant and child feeding

• Weaning and infant feeding educators

• Other appropriately qualified professionals whose expertise may support feeding, development or wellbeing

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We are particularly interested in practitioners who recognise the importance of looking at the whole baby, not just the feeding difficulty.

 

For example, a baby struggling to latch may benefit from feeding support, but there may also be questions around oral function, tongue movement, positioning or physical tension that require input from another appropriately qualified professional.

 

We want to encourage joined-up, evidence-informed support, with each practitioner working within their professional scope and referring onwards where appropriate.

 

You don't need to offer every type of support. We're looking to build a diverse network of professionals who can bring their individual expertise to the clinics.

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2. Community and parent support volunteers

 

You don't need professional qualifications to make a meaningful difference.

 

We also need warm, approachable volunteers who can help create a calm, welcoming environment for parents arriving at the clinics.

For some families, asking for feeding support can feel incredibly vulnerable. They may be exhausted, anxious, frustrated or worried about their baby.

 

Having someone there to welcome them, listen without judgement and help them feel comfortable can make a huge difference.

 

You could help by:

• Welcoming families and explaining how the drop-in clinic works.

• Offering reassurance and a friendly face while families wait.

• Helping parents feel comfortable and supported.

• Supporting with simple practical arrangements and setting up.

• Helping sessions run smoothly and directing families to the appropriate practitioner.

 

You won't be expected to give feeding or medical advice. Your role is to help families feel welcome, heard and supported while qualified practitioners provide specialist guidance.

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Experience of parenting or supporting families is welcome, but not essential.

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What is the commitment?

 

We want to make volunteering as accessible and manageable as possible.

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We're ideally looking for volunteers and practitioners who can commit to:

• One clinic per month, approximately 1.5 hours.

• Supporting their preferred location, rather than travelling across Warwickshire.

• Attending regularly where possible, helping us build a reliable and consistent service.

• Working collaboratively with other practitioners and volunteers.

• Following our safeguarding, confidentiality and professional practice guidance.

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We understand that everyone has different commitments, so please still get in touch if you can only offer occasional support or would prefer to be part of a rotating practitioner network.

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The clinics have been funded for the whole of 2027, and we're hoping to build a sustainable network of volunteers who can help us support families throughout the year.

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Is this a paid opportunity?

 

Our aim is to provide these clinics through the generosity and expertise of local volunteers, ensuring we can offer as much free support to families as possible.

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However, we recognise that professional expertise, time and specialist skills have real value.

 

We have a small budget available to pay practitioners where we're unable to secure the specialist support we need through volunteering.

 

If volunteering your time would be a significant barrier, please don't let that stop you from getting in touch. We would still love to hear from you and explore whether a paid arrangement may be possible within our available funding.

 

For independent practitioners, volunteering may also provide opportunities to connect with local families and other professionals, raise awareness of your services and potentially receive enquiries for further private support. However, there is no guarantee of referrals or paid work, and the clinics will always remain focused on the needs of families rather than promoting private services.

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What we're looking for

 

Above all, we're looking for people who genuinely care about improving the support available to families.

 

We'd love to hear from you if you:

• Have a warm, compassionate and non-judgemental approach.

• Respect all feeding choices and family circumstances.

• Believe in collaborative, family-centred support.

• Are reliable and able to communicate your availability.

• Understand the importance of confidentiality, safeguarding and professional boundaries.

• Are happy to work alongside practitioners from different disciplines.

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For specialist practitioner roles, we'll also ask for evidence of relevant qualifications, professional registration where applicable, appropriate insurance and any safeguarding checks required for your role.

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All volunteers will receive relevant information and guidance before supporting a clinic.

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Why get involved?

 

This is an opportunity to be part of something that could make a lasting difference to feeding support across Warwickshire.

 

By volunteering, you'll be helping us:

• Remove financial barriers to accessing feeding support.

• Make specialist guidance more accessible to local families.

• Support parents who may otherwise struggle to find the help they need.

• Encourage collaboration between different professionals.

• Create a compassionate environment where parents feel listened to and respected.

• Build a stronger community network around infant and child feeding.

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Whether you can offer specialist knowledge or simply a reassuring presence, your contribution could make an enormous difference to a family at a particularly difficult time.

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How to get involved

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#We'd love to hear from you!

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If you're interested in supporting our infant feeding clinics, please complete the short expression of interest form using the link below.

We'll ask you a little about yourself, your preferred location, your relevant experience or qualifications (if applicable), and how you'd like to be involved.

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Once we've received your details, we'll be in touch to arrange an informal conversation and discuss the opportunities available.

 

Complete our volunteer expression of interest form by clicking here 

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Together, we can make sure more families across Warwickshire have somewhere to turn when they need feeding support.

 

Vicky & Melissa 

Beyond the Bump UK CIC