Released on: 19 July 2011
There was singing in valleys of Swansea, South Wales when the NCT annual conference rolled into town.
The conference took place at Brangwyn Hall, Swansea, 27th – 28th June and it was the highlight of the charity’s year with over 300 parents attending. Parents had the opportunity to share in the charity’s successes and help shape the future of the NCT through discussions and debates on issues that are important to parents.
Notable highlights included:-
Rose McCarthy, NCT antenatal teacher and maternity services liaison committee representative for Leeds talked through how she set up and now runs a workshop for diverse groups in Leeds
Polly FergusonfromtheWelsh Assembly Government talked about recent initiatives and developments in maternity care in Wales as well as her vision for the future
And Penny Nicholls, Director for Young Children at the Children’s Society, joined us to talk about findings in the recently published report ‘A Good Childhood’.
Awards were given to NCT volunteers who were recognised for their commitment and NCT antenatal teachers, breastfeeding counsellors and postnatal leaders were awarded for their excellent support and outstanding work. And special guest stars were the all male Swansea choir who sang a selection of traditional welsh and modern songs.
Gail Werkmeister, President, NCT, commented; “This year’s Conference was the busiest and buzziest than it’s been before. There was an excellent, friendly atmosphere and all the speakers were very impressive. The workshops were inspiring and extremely useful with information we could put into practice ourselves – it was great motivation.”
There was also a free crèche on-site and a bustling exhibition hall, packed with valuable practical products and services for parents and children. A Welsh artisan & craft fair was also on hand with greetings cards, children’s toys, clothes and nursery items.
