Leading retail and leisure destination, Silverburn has been awarded a Breastfeeding Friendly accreditation by The Scottish Government’s Healthier Scotland, further underlining its commitment to being a family friendly and inclusive destination.
The Breastfeeding Friendly scheme recognises destinations that are working to make Scotland a society that supports mothers to breastfeed wherever and whenever they wish. Silverburn has always been breastfeeding friendly, however this recent training demonstrates its efforts to educate employees and its ongoing efforts to provide the best experience to guests.
Over 80% of Silverburn’s staff, including management suite employees and security staff, have now completed vital training on how to make breastfeeding mothers feel supported during their visit to the centre.
Silverburn currently has plans to expand the training offer to ensure as many staff as possible are able to support a breastfeeding friendly experience for visitors.
The scheme advocates for mothers to feel empowered to breastfeed wherever they choose whether that be in public or private spaces. To facilitate this, Silverburn additionally offers a Family Room where mothers can breastfeed, if they decide that is where they feel most comfortable, which is easily accessible and signposted.
Katherine McGinness, environmental and community coordinator at Silverburn said: “Inclusivity is at the core of Silverburn’s values. The decision to pursue the Breastfeeding Friendly certification was based upon our mission to be a space where everyone feels comfortable enjoying the leisure and retail offerings.
“Breastfeeding mothers should always feel comfortable and supported to feed their child whenever and wherever they want to and Silverburn is proud to now be able to confidently facilitate this.”
This development comes as part of Silverburn’s ongoing community and sustainability initiative, Silverburn Cares, which looks to engage with the local community, support charitable causes and enhance the destinations diversity and inclusion offering.
As part of the Silverburn Cares initiative, the destination has also provided staff with training on how to support visitors living with dementia and announced a record-breaking year for charitable giving, donating £56,000 to various causes throughout 2022.