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>Last Thursday Ann Girling and I had the pleasure of addressing professionals and parents linked to Children’s centres in Bracknell, Berks.

We stayed at the Bracknell central Travelodge – new and very clean – http://www.travelodge.co.uk/search_and_book/hotel_overview.php?hotel_id=363 although it isn’t 3 miles from the station, more like half!

The venue was also impressive at The Bracknell Open Learning Centre. http://www.bnlcp.org.uk/centre/bracknell-open-learning-centre

The history of this booking is amazing – back in summer 2005 I spoke to the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers at their main conference. It was one of the first talks I did and I remember my slides were all in the wrong order! But at the end of it a lady approached me and thanked me for making her feel that she wasn’t alone in her symptoms. That made it all worthwhile even if I felt it hadn’t gone well. Yet I must have perceived it wrongly as earlier this year I was asked to speak at Wexham Park hospital in Slough  by someone who had never forgotten the impact I had made in 2005! http://elainehanzak.blogspot.com/2010/04/postnatal-depression-and-breastfeeding.html

At that event I mentioned the workshops I now deliver for Children’s centres and hence one of the managers from Bracknell booked us! We delivered a bespoke version – two 3 hour sessions for two sets of people. Initially I told my story and Ann also added hers. We then split into two groups – the parents with me and the professionals with Ann, before finishing off together. Ann and I thoroughly enjoyed the day and are hungry for more!

One of the delegates told us

‘I attended your workshop this morning and wanted to say thank you to you and Ann for an inspiring morning, and for you both sharing your stories so honestly. This was a unique insight for me and I hope to take what I learnt into my work with parents to be.’

Elaine Hanzak

www.hanzak.com