Over the weekend of 19th-21st April Kent Branch attended the Baby & Toddler Show, here guest blogger Tina Smith – Save a Baby’s Life Co-ordinator for Kent Branch of RLSS UK, has given us an insight into the show…

Our second time out at the Glow Bluewater Baby Show and attendance figures show visitors in their thousands, it has been a great success for RLSS UK and Kent Branch!

Buoyant from the October 2012 show, April was booked, and set up began on the Thursday evening.  The preparation of the stand took a good couple of hours and the venue was a hive of activity, with exhibitors, carpets layers, electricians, carpenters, and more all busying themselves late into the evening to get ready. The finishing touch was the furniture borrowed from the local solicitors Hatten Wyatt.

We threw everyone at it this year, Presidents past and present, Kent Branch Committee, Youth committee, Trainer Assessors and Trainers, Midwives and First Aid Instructors. Fuelled by tea, coffee and homemade fudge the team were eager to get going.

The show included the ‘expert workshop’ sessions. The lack of hands-on teaching at the workshops was highlighted in October, so this was the place to showcase the Save a Baby’s Life programme. The choking element of the programme was delivered by a presentation, and demonstrated by two additional trainers on stage. Additional manikins distributed throughout the audience ensured a hands-on workshop and participation by those present. The session times were varied each day with the best time being 13:30 on the Sunday. It was standing room only at the back and some parents opting to sit on the floor at the front to get a good view.

At the end of the training session parents were offered the opportunity to attend a free Save a Baby’s Life course at Cascades Leisure Centre on the 20^th May, with those signing up being automatically entered into a prize draw, and by lunchtime Sunday, all 120 provisional spaces were booked. Fellow exhibitors Bibisili and baby Collection were impressed with our work and kindly donated to our prize draw along with Disney, Speedo, and Build-a-Bear.

All of our volunteers have been amazing in Kent and as the Save a Baby’s Life Co-ordinator I cannot thank them enough for their support of this programme and the dedication to this event.

Debbie Hunt, Lorraine Mackie, Chris Deering, Fred Rowland, Paul Paulding, Martyn Steers, Jan Bristow, Claire Paulding, Andrew Hunt, Terry Doyle, Michelle Beattie, Sally Underdown all deserve special thanks.