Best Beginnings was founded by Alison Baum, a science graduate who had worked for almost 10 years at the BBC. Alison worked on programmes such as Horizon and Tomorrow’s World, communicating key scientific and medical breakthroughs.
Following the birth of her two sons, both born with significant health problems, and the death of her uncle Professor David Baum, who was the President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, Alison decided to leave the BBC and work to radically improve the health of babies across the UK.
Best Beginnings was set up in 2006 and became a registered charity in July 2007. When just four weeks old Best Beginnings formed and led a coalition of more than 35 organisations, including five Royal Colleges and UNICEF, to lobby for the implementation of the Breastfeeding Manifesto.
In April 2007, Alison won the Sheila McKechnie Foundation award for Health and Social Campaigner of the Year, which was presented to her by Gordon Brown.
Best Beginnings made breastfeeding its primary focus for the first two years.
From autumn 2008 to November 2010 every pregnant woman in the UK received a copy of the free Best Beginnings DVD From Bump to Breastfeeding.
But Best Beginnings is not a breastfeeding charity. Our work also includes the Small Wonders project for sick and premature babies and the Preparing for Parenthood project, both of which aim to reduce the health gap that exists for so many young children in the UK.