A MUM's innovative idea to make breastfeeding easier is to expand thanks to a grant from a Bradford charity. 

Alice Wilkinson, who won a Telegraph & Argus Community Stars award last year for her work in promoting breastfeeding, has secured a Better Start Bradford 'Parents in the Lead' award for her breastfeeding pack project.

She will receive £410 to help provide more mums with a breastfeeding pack in the Better Start Bradford area.

The pack includes re-useable breast pads, breastmilk storage bags, a silicone band to help mums remember which side they last fed from, a hot chocolate sachet and more. 

Alice, 26, said: “The idea for the project all started while I was breastfeeding my daughter.

"I used to wear a wristband so I could remember which side I last fed her on and I thought it would be great if they could hand them out to new mums. Then I thought about what else breastfeeding mums would find useful.

“When I found out that we had the funding it was amazing. It means we can start making the packs and handing them out to new mums in the Better Start Bradford area.

"Because of the funding we are able to provide good quality products that are helpful and practical to breastfeeding mums in Bradford.

"Thank you to everyone who has supported the breastfeeding pack and helped make it happen, I really hope people find it useful and that it can promote breastfeeding.”

Alice’s project is one of six projects that have been awarded Parents in the Lead funding in the latest round of awards. The projects will share more than £4,000 of the funding between them and activities will include sporting activities for dads and their children, Forest School sessions, cycling skills, and cultural shared learning sessions.

Gill Thornton, Head of Programme at Better Start Bradford, said: “The breastfeeding pack is such an innovative project and is one example of the great ideas our local parents are coming up with.

“We are really keen hear from parents, grandparents and carers of children under four, families expecting a baby and groups who want to develop new activities with babies and children."

The next deadline for applications is Wednesday, February 28.

Better Start Bradford is made possible thanks to a £49 million National Lottery grant from the Big Lottery Fund.

The charity's Parents in the Lead activities fund is designed to help parents run activities for families expecting babies or with children under four, in the Better Start Bradford area of Bowling and Barkerend, Bradford Moor and Little Horton. Groups can apply for a maximum of £2,000 to fund activities.

They should be for under fours and contribute towards social and emotional development, develop communication and language and improve nutrition and health.