Leader’s Award for inspirational leader who supports local families

An inspirational leader who supports a multi-agency network to give children in Blackburn with Darwen the very best start in life is the winner of this year’s One Voice Leader’s Award.

Donna Butler is East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust’s Baby Friendly Lead Midwife. Donna and her team of two specialist staff and three support workers, together with midwives, health visitors, perinatal mental health teams, early years teams in Family Hubs, Public Health colleagues and parent volunteers, offer invaluable support for families in the crucial early days of parenthood.

Donna Butler is keen to share the Leader’s Award accolade with her colleagues. She said:

This award belongs to my team, and to the wider network we work with across Blackburn with Darwen.

Throughout their contact with the Baby Friendly Team, mums receive non-judgemental support to achieve their goals – whether that’s breastfeeding for the first few days, or longer term.

While breastmilk is proven to give babies the best nutritional start – boosting immunity and protecting against illnesses like diabetes – Donna and her team support mothers to do what is best for them and their babies.

Donna continues:

Here in Blackburn with Darwen, we’re changing the conversation around infant feeding. If we support parents during pregnancy and those early weeks – regardless of how they choose to feed their baby – the relational aspect of parenting can be transformational.

Donna trained in nursing, midwifery and health visiting in Tower Hamlets at the Royal London Hospital before moving to Blackburn 25 years ago. Working locally while raising her four children gave her a deep understanding of the borough and its families.

Donna added:

I’ve always been interested in health inequalities, and wanted to work somewhere I can make a difference. 

That difference is clear. In 2018, Blackburn with Darwen became a Baby Friendly Gold Standard borough, a prestigious Unicef accreditation. Today, the borough has the second highest rates in the North West for babies whose first feed is breastmilk.

The Leader’s Award, supported by Blackburn with Darwen Council, acknowledges an individual or organisation that has shown strong leadership, enhanced the reputation of the town and shown a strong cohesion ethos.

It is judged and presented by Council Leader Councillor Phil Riley and is part of the annual 1V Awards Dinner.

Councillor Phil Riley commented:

It’s my honour every year to choose a worthy winner for the Leader’s Award – and every year, I’m genuinely blown away reading through all the nominations.

This year’s winner is an inspirational leader whose work has been having a huge impact on others in Blackburn with Darwen for some time.

Donna Butler leads with a passion for making life better for parents and carers, and for giving babies and children in our borough the very best start.

She works closely with our Public Health team and our Family Hubs, as well as collaborating with a range of other local agencies, to make sure families are supported through the challenges of the first 1,001 days of a child’s life.

Donna and her team engage with our local communities, and respond to their diverse needs to ensure the services they offer meet families’ needs.

We’re very lucky to have Donna in Blackburn with Darwen, and I congratulate her on her success.

Now in their tenth year, the 1V Awards run by charity One Voice Blackburn celebrate local people from all walks of life who go over and above to make Blackburn better.

Last year’s winner of the Leader’s Award was The Billy Project. Previous winners include Debra Cartlidge who founded The Deaf Village North West, artist Jamie Holman, Blackburn Muslim Burial Society, Keep Blackburn Tidy, and Derek Estill of the BwD Interfaith Forum.

The 1V Awards dinner will be held in The Exchange in Blackburn town centre this spring.