An Ely breastfeeding support group has announced it will close at the end of the year.  

Ely Milks meets most Monday mornings at the Paradise Centre and has helped many new mothers with feeding their newborn babies.  

It was launched in 2011 by a group of mums who found there was a lack of breastfeeding support available to those who lived in and around the city.  

But since the pandemic, Sarah Oakley, an infant feeding specialist who leads the sessions, has struggled to secure funds and volunteers to keep Ely Milks running.  

In a lengthy post on the Ely Milks Facebook page, she said: “It is with sadness that I am announcing the closure of Ely Milks at the end of this month. We will not reopen in the new year.” 

She added: “I am grateful to the volunteers who have supported the group over the years but increasingly it has become clear that our existing volunteers cannot commit to doing more than they are doing...  

“... Attempts to recruit more volunteers for the group, and crucially to the committee, have not been successful.” 

Many responded to the post with personal stories of how Ely Milks helped them overcome the challenges they were experiencing on their breastfeeding journeys.  

The last Ely Milks will take place on Monday (December19).  

Sarah, who has a private practice in Burwell, has been supporting breastfeeding groups in the area since 2003.  

Her post also outlined the challenges she had experienced in securing funds for Ely Milks, and the general lack of public resources channeled into supporting breastfeeding.  

She added: “But after 20 years I am burnt out and done and feel my energies and skills are better deployed elsewhere through my private practice and teaching.  

“If breastfeeding support were truly valued then those holding funds would be supporting us but they are choosing not to.  

“I feel truly privileged to have had the opportunity to work with so many families for so many years and with some wonderful and passionate women who have been prepared to give their time to help others. 

“I would also like to thank the Childrens Centres for employing me between 2010-15 to run the groups mentioned and the many venues who have hosted Ely Milks over the years.” 

Other groups that offer breastfeeding support in the area include: La Leche League East Cambs, Newmarket Breastfeeding Group and Cambridge Breastfeeding Alliance.