Tameside Health Visiting Service

21/10/2026

Your baby’s health comes before everyone else’s feelings!

Looking after your baby’s health includes taking everyday steps to reduce their risk of infection, especially in the first few weeks of life when they are most vulnerable.

Simple actions like encouraging visitors to wash their hands before they hold your baby, and asking visitors (or even strangers) not to kiss your baby, help to protect them.

Unfortunately, we hear from parents and carers that sometimes, their family and friends might be upset by these boundaries. But this Infection Prevention Week, we're here to remind you that this is your baby, and these are your boundaries.

It’s okay to prioritise your baby’s wellbeing. Taking these steps doesn’t mean you’re being overprotective or overcautious – it means you’re following the latest advice to help keep your baby safe. You get to decide what’s best for your baby.

If you need help having these conversations 👉 https://bit.ly/4xU5LT6

Our infection prevention guidance is aimed at babies in the first few months of life, although it is sensible to practice hand washing with older babies and children. As they grow and get bigger, their immune systems will have had chance to develop. When it comes to setting boundaries with visitors, please continue to set your boundaries for as long as you feel comfortable.

21/10/2026

📚 By popular demand, a limited number of hard copies of this much-loved book are now available in the ERIC shop while stocks last!

Beautifully illustrated and produced by the talented Ink105 Design this book is also available as a free flipbook on the ERIC website. If you'd like your own printed copy, now's your chance to grab one:

👉 https://shop.eric.org.uk/collections/toileting-books

A huge thank you to SC Nutra for generously funding the printing, and to Ink105 Design for enabling us to raise vital funds through book sales. Every purchase helps ERIC continue supporting children and young people living with bowel and bladder conditions, and the families who care for them.

Thank you for helping us make a difference.

21/10/2026

💜 Day 3 of National Parenting Week — Understanding feelings

Big feelings can be difficult for children to manage — and difficult for parents and carers too.

You don’t always need the perfect words. Sometimes a calm presence and “I’m here with you” is a helpful place to start.

💛 Pause and take a breath.
💛 Listen and acknowledge how they feel.
💛 Offer comfort, or a little space if that’s what they need.
💛 Save problem-solving for when things feel calmer.

Understanding a feeling doesn’t mean allowing every behaviour. You can say: “It’s okay to feel angry. I won’t let you hit.”

And if you lose your patience? You can come back, apologise and reconnect. Parents are learning too.

📧 [email protected]

20/10/2026

Wow! Well done and congratulations! ❤️

❤️💙TONIGHT OUR HEARTS ARE FULL OF PRIDE 💙❤️

Some moments are bigger than words, and tonight is certainly one of them.

Tonight, Andy’s family and the founders of ANDYSMANCLUB receive a Pride of Britain Special Recognition Award and there really couldn’t be a more deserving family.

Whilst the nation sees an incredible charity and the lives it has changed, we see something even more extraordinary.

We see a family who, through unimaginable heartbreak, found the courage and strength to turn their pain into hope for others. A family who made sure Andy’s name would go on to mean something extraordinary.

Born from loss. Built on hope.

A legacy that has become a lifeline for so many. 💙

Ten years on, we’ve reached one million attendances and what started as a small group of men talking has become something none of us could ever have imagined.

And what makes tonight even more special? It’s Monday.

It’s club night. 💙

Whilst Andy’s family are being recognised on a national stage, our incredible team of volunteer facilitators will be swinging open the doors of over 370 ANDYSMANCLUB groups across the country, welcoming men through those doors, some for the very first time, offering friendship, support and a place where nobody has to face their struggles alone.

To Andy’s family and our founders, our incredible staff team, every volunteer, every facilitator and every man who has ever walked through our doors, thank you.

We often describe ANDYSMANCLUB as a ship. Some help steer it, some keep it sailing through the storms, and others have simply needed it to carry them until they find their feet again.

But without you, that ship would never have set sail.

Tonight, every single one of us aboard that ship is bursting with pride for you.

We will strive to remain a square peg in a round hole. Andy will forever be at the heart of everything we do. His name lives on in every group, every conversation and every man who finds the courage to say, “I’m struggling.”

Tonight, the nation recognises what we have known for years. You are truly extraordinary.

From all of us, we couldn’t be prouder.

20/10/2026

💜 Day 2 of National Parenting Week — Making connections

Connection doesn’t need to involve an expensive day out or a perfectly planned activity. Everyday moments count.

📖 Share a story.
🧱 Join in with their play.
🎵 Sing a favourite song.
💬 Take an interest in something they enjoy.

Whether you have a baby, toddler or teenager, try finding a few minutes today to follow their lead, listen and enjoy being together — without needing to teach, correct or rush.

💛 What’s your favourite way to connect with your child?

To find out about our parenting groups and support:
📧 [email protected]

19/10/2026

💜 Today marks the first day of National Parenting Week!

We’re starting the week by celebrating YOU — the parents and carers showing up, learning along the way and doing their best, even on the difficult days.

Parenting can bring joy, laughter and proud moments, alongside worry, tiredness and moments of “am I getting this right?” You’re not alone. 💛

You don’t have to be a perfect parent, and you don’t have to do it all by yourself.

Small moments of connection matter — sharing a story, listening, having a giggle or taking time to reconnect after a tricky moment.

🌟 Today, give yourself a little credit. What’s one small parenting win you’ve had recently? We’d love to hear it below.

To find out about our parenting groups and support, get in touch:
📧 [email protected]

19/10/2026

15/10/2026

Children’s brains are like sponges.

From your words, to your actions – they'll copy everything you do, including your screen use habits.

Try to be mindful of how often you use screens around your little ones.

Visit Best Start in Life for more guidance on healthy routines, screen-use limits, and better content choices.

15/10/2026

🩷💙 Baby Loss Awareness Week | 9–15 October

This week, we remember every baby lost during pregnancy or after birth, and hold their parents, families and loved ones in our thoughts.

Whether your loss was recent or many years ago, your baby matters, your grief matters, and you deserve care and support. There is no right way to feel, and no timetable for grief.

🕯️ If it feels right for you, join the Wave of Light at 7pm on 15 October by lighting a candle for one hour in remembrance of all babies who have died.

Whether you choose to share, remember privately or take some quiet time, you are not alone.

For support and information, visit:
https://www.babyloss-awareness.org