Last month guest blogger Tina Smith, RLSS UK Save a Baby’s Life Co-ordinator for Kent Branch, shared with us the work that goes into preparing for a baby show. With the show having taken place from 25th-27th April, Tina has shared with us how it went.

Our fourth show at Bluewater in Kent, and branch volunteers Debbie Hunt, Lorraine Mackie, Chris Deering, Fred Rowland, Paul Paulding, Lesley Smith, Fran Payne, Jan Bristow, Vice President Phil Crowder – with a guest appearance from Regional Chairman John Stainer and his wife –all got involved. They took time to talk, present and promote the society’s aims, outreach programmes and water safety. The three days were not without a few laughs (at ourselves) and even a spot of first aid put in by Paul Paulding!

Thursday night was set up, and having horseshoed everything into the car before work, and out of the car again on arrival at Glow around 6.30pm, the process of planning which vinyls would go where, which position the display table was best in and doing a bit of blogging and Facebook photos, saw three hours fly by and it was time to go home.

Friday’s show started at 9.30am with a steady flow of parents, who seemed to be a healthy mix of professional mums, paramedics, doctors, health visitors and nurses, we were preaching to the converted, but it was lovely to be complimented for being at the show and a comment of ‘you’re the most important exhibitor here’, made it all the more worthwhile.

Fred Rowland presented the first ‘expert workshop’ on Friday and Paul Paulding and I presented on the remaining two days. This was a great platform from which to teach the choking element of the Save a Baby’s Life programme. With baby Annes distributed throughout the audience and volunteers assisting, it enabled us to do some hands-on training, along with water safety advice and encouragement to join us at a full course presentation, at Cascades Leisure Centre on the 9^th June, as a follow up to the show.

Saturday and Sunday were as expected, with considerable footfall, with around 13,000 expected over the three days passing through the doors.

The addition to the display of a bubble blowing fish provided lots of fun for toddlers babies and myself!

Trainer comments:-

“I think the show was a success although on the Friday a large percentage of the people I approached were health care professionals, probably because it was a weekday.”
Fred Rowland

“Good location and facilities well worthwhile from my point of view.”
Chris Deering

Bluewater is strategically placed close to the M25 and the QEII bridge in Kent and draws customers from lots of surrounding counties including Surrey, Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, the city and more. If you are keen to start training the Save a Baby’s Life programme in your area please get in touch and we will gladly pass on details of our experiences and help parents eager to attend a clinic in your area.