HENRY in City & Hackney

23/04/2026

📰 NEWS

We’re pleased to see that our friends at First Steps Nutrition Trust have joined the Commercial Baby Food Review – a new collaboration working to improve the nutritional quality and marketing of baby and toddler foods in the UK.

Research continues to show that many products on the shelves can be confusing or misleading, with some baby foods higher in sugar than expected and often marketed as suitable from 4 months, despite guidance recommending starting solids at around 6 months.

🧡 We know that sometimes grabbing a pouch or jar of baby food on the go is practical – but it’s important that parents feel confident and informed about what they’re feeding their babies. This is why trusted information and practical support really matter.

At HENRY, our Starting Solids workshops support parents and carers to:
• understand when babies are ready for solid foods
• explore nutritious and safe options
• feel confident making feeding choices
• develop healthy eating habits and enjoyable mealtimes

📍 If you’re in City & Hackney, our Starting Solids workshops are available locally in children’s centres.

Ask your local centre or check the HENRY City & Hackney events calendar here:
👉 https://www.henry.org.uk/city-and-hackney/events-calendar

07/04/2026

Next term we’re excited to be running four HENRY Healthy Families programmes across City & Hackney!
Each group offers a welcoming space for parents to build healthier, happier routines together.
Free, friendly and full of practical ideas — we’d love to see you there. 💛

06/03/2026

Keep on promoting the benefits of screen free meals throughout the weekend to support healthy eating and responsive feeding.

This World Obesity Day we are highlighting the benefits of screen free meals to support healthy eating habits and stronger connections for babies and children. Find out more at Screen Free Meals for World Obesity Day | HENRY

21/01/2026

Your opinion matters!

We’re working with DALS Translation Services to make HENRY’s support more accessible for families by translating some of our most loved resources.

💬 Take our quick survey (just 2 minutes!)

Your feedback will help us identify the most needed languages for families with babies and children aged 0-5.

✔ Make your voice heard
✔ Help shape inclusive support
✔ Be part of positive change

👉 Complete the survey here: http://links.henry.org.uk/dalssurvey

Together, we can make sure language is never a barrier to a healthy start.

HENRY has partnered with Dals translation services, who have very kindly agreed to produce a range of translated materials to better support the diverse communities we and our partners serve. Your input is crucial in helping us understand what would be most beneficial and to ensure we focus on the r...

08/01/2026

⚠️ Important for all families

Nestlé has recalled some SMA Infant Formula and Follow-On Formula because they may contain a toxin that can cause sickness.

Please check your formula today:
✔ Stop using affected batches.
✔ If your baby is unwell, call your GP or NHS 111.
✔ It’s OK to switch to another brand of first infant formula.

Full details and refund info:
👉 https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-02-2026-update-1
👉 https://www.nestle.co.uk/en-gb/getintouch or call 0800 0 81 81 80

Share this post to help keep babies safe in our community 💛

Nestlé has updated the precautionary recall of several SMA Infant Formula and Follow-On Formula because they may contain cereulide toxin. The update contains amendments to the expiry dates of affected batches of SMA Advanced Follow-On Milk and SMA ALFAMINO.

22/12/2025

Season’s Greetings from all of of the City and Hackney HENRY Team! 🌟

As we wrap up the year, we want to thank everyone who has supported our mission to give children the best start in life.

Wishing you joy, peace and health this festive season and throughout the new year.

✨

03/11/2025

We’re hiring in Hackney & the City of London!

Are you passionate about helping babies and children thrive?

Join our Healthy Families team and support local families with practical, inclusive services – from parenting workshops to NHS Healthy Start vitamins.

💼 Healthy Families Practitioner
🕒 22.5 hours/week (0.6 FTE)
📍 Based at Linden Children’s Centre + community settings
📅 Closing date: Thursday 20 November

Make a real difference in your community 💚

👉 Apply now: https://www.henry.org.uk/jobs

31/10/2025

Wondering what to do with the little ones this Halloween? We've put together a few spooktacular ideas for you...

15/09/2025

New dates announced for our Autumn Healthy Families Group programme, join now!

The HENRY Healthy Families programme is a free 8-week programme for families, exploring topics and providing a toolkit, book, and certificate for each participant.

•Would you like to feel more confident as a parent?

•Would you like some support to give your children a healthy start?

°Would you like to reduce mealtime stress?

°Would you like to enjoy being active together as a family more often?

°Are you interested in some ideas to get children away from the TV?

Join us over 8 weeks as we explore these topics and more.

Contact us at HENRY on 07519109876 or [email protected]

We look forward to hearing from you!

31/08/2025

🖤 As Black Breastfeeding Week comes to a close, our commitment remains.

Breastfeeding support must be safe, respectful and culturally responsive, and that’s what we’re working towards, every day.

Throughout this month, we’ve:

🔎 Shone a light on disparities and barriers
🗣 Shared stories that matter
🤝 Called for safe spaces where every family feels seen, heard and valued

At HENRY, we know that the work doesn’t stop here. Equity is not a campaign, it’s a commitment.

✅ We’ll keep listening.
✅ We’ll keep learning.
✅ And we’ll keep showing up for every family, every step of the way.

Thank you to everyone who engaged, shared, and stood with us during Black Breastfeeding Week.

29/08/2025

Let’s look beyond the surface.

Black breastfeeding rates are lower, not because of personal choice, but because of systemic inequalities that make breastfeeding harder to start and sustain.

These are just some of the structural barriers Black families face:

🏥 Inconsistent or biased healthcare experiences
📖 Lack of representation in educational resources
🗣️ Fewer safe spaces to ask questions and share openly
📉 A legacy of mistrust rooted in lived experience

At HENRY, we believe support must be safe, responsive and equitable. That means:

✅ Listening to lived experiences
✅ Challenging assumptions
✅ Delivering inclusive, culturally aware support
✅ Advocating for long-term system change

We’re working alongside local teams and families to change the story, because every baby deserves the best possible start, and every family deserves to be respected on their feeding journey.

28/08/2025

🖤 Real Stories. Real Strength.

During Black Breastfeeding Week, we’re spotlighting lived experiences: the joys, the barriers and the support that makes a difference.

Today, we’re honoured to share a story from one of the amazing parents we’ve supported through our infant feeding work:

“I’m a first-time mum and honestly, I didn’t know what to expect with breastfeeding. I’d heard so many mixed messages that it was natural, but also hard and I was scared I wouldn’t be able to do it.

When my daughter was born, things didn’t go smoothly. I struggled with pain, latching issues and the pressure to ‘get it right’ straight away. I didn’t feel listened to in the hospital and I didn’t see anyone who looked like me offering support. I started to think maybe it just wasn’t meant to work for us.

Then I found HENRY. I called the helpline not knowing what to expect, but the warmth and understanding I felt on that call, it changed everything. The practitioner I spoke to listened without judgement, helped me understand what was normal and reassured me that I was doing great. That my baby and I could learn together.

I’m now exclusively breastfeeding my daughter at four months and I’m proud of how far we’ve come. I’ve had low days and teary nights, but I never felt alone once I had HENRY Waltham Forest Infant Feeding Team by my side. Representation matters, I needed to hear from someone who understood my experience as a Black woman.
This isn’t just about milk. It’s about confidence. It’s about feeling seen, supported and celebrated. That’s what HENRY gave me.”

This is why representation matters.

This is why safe, inclusive support matters.

🧡 At HENRY, we’re committed to walking alongside families, wherever you are on your feeding journey.

💜 Want to share your own experience? Message us, your story matters.