We provide mother-to-mother, parent-to-parent breastfeeding support across Great Britain and the Isle of Man. We believe that mothering through breastfeeding is the most natural and effective way of understanding and satisfying the needs of your baby.
Our Volunteers
Our breastfeeding counsellors are volunteers who have breastfed their own babies and completed comprehensive training in breastfeeding support and group facilitation to become LLL Leaders. They offer support in a range of ways, including phone, text, email, and online. LLL Leaders also run support meetings — a welcoming space to talk about feeding your baby, share experiences, hear what has helped others, and make friends.
We would love you to get involved and support our work.
At LLLGB, we support mothers to breastfeed, and families to feed their babies with human milk in whatever way works for them. We also provide information for supporters and health professionals. Our approach is respectful, inclusive, and responsive to different experiences and needs.
What we achieved in 2024-25
- 1036 calls taken by our Callback service
- 437 email Helpforms replied to
- 2886 other one-to-one support situations
- 4140 individuals supported in group settings
- 37 Beginning Breastfeeding Online antenatal courses
- 29 new Leaders accredited
- Reached our first 1000 podcast followers
Digital reach
- Facebook: 29,000 followers
- Instagram: 15,000 followers
- Podcast: 16,500 downloads
Read more about
- LLL’s Mission and Philosophy
- When breastfeeding is difficult
- Book: The Art of Breastfeeding
- Our Council of Directors
- Our 2024/2025 Annual Report and Financial Statement
- LLLGB’s Memorandum & Articles of Association
- Professional Liaison (PL) Department and Panel of Professional Advisors (PPA)
- La Leche League International
- La Leche League GB
LLL’s Mission and Philosophy
Our Mission is to help mothers worldwide to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information, and education, and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother. (From LLLI Policies and Standing Rules.)
La Leche League was founded by seven mothers in 1956, to support friends who wanted to breastfeed their babies. They began a grassroots organisation that continues to offer breastfeeding information, encouragement and support to mothers and parents worldwide through a network of thousands of Leaders and groups.
Our philosophy is defined by ten concepts:
- Mothering through breastfeeding is the most natural and effective way of understanding and satisfying the needs of the baby.
- Human milk is the natural food for babies, uniquely meeting their changing needs.
- Alert and active participation by the mother in childbirth is a help in getting breastfeeding off to a good start.
- Mother and baby need to be together early and often to establish a satisfying breastfeeding relationship and reliable milk supply.
- Breastfeeding is enhanced by the loving support of the baby’s father, a co-parent, a partner, and/or close family members who value the breastfeeding relationship.
- In the early years, the baby has an intense need to be with his mother which is as basic as his need for food.
- For the healthy, full-term baby, human milk is the only food necessary until the baby shows signs of readiness for complementary foods, about the middle of the first year after birth.
- Good nutrition means eating a well-balanced and varied diet of foods in as close to their natural state as possible.
- Ideally the breastfeeding relationship will continue until the child outgrows the need.
- From infancy on, children need loving guidance which reflects acceptance of their capabilities and sensitivity to their feelings.
Finding what works for you
LLLGB is not a pressure group. We offer accurate, evidence-based information so you can make decisions that feel right for you and your baby or child.
We support families with many different feeding journeys — whether that’s breastfeeding for a few weeks or a few years; combi feeding (breastfeeding and formula), or expressing milk.
If breastfeeding doesn’t work out, or doesn’t feel right for you, you are still very welcome to talk to us. Our volunteers offer a listening ear and a non-judgemental space to explore your thoughts and feelings.
LLL Leaders have all breastfed their own babies, and many first came to LLL looking for help. We won’t tell you what you should do — we’re here to share information and support you in finding what works for you.
Books and resources
Many LLL Groups have a library of books on breastfeeding and parenting that you can borrow. You can also buy a range of books and leaflets from LLLGB Shop — and every purchase helps support our work.
The Art of Breastfeeding
Now in its 9th edition, The Art of Breastfeeding draws on decades of LLL’s work with babies, mothers, and families.
This much-loved guide brings together practical information and real-life stories, with updated content, new illustrations, and voices from around the world.
Our Council of Directors
LLLGB is governed by a Council of Directors (our trustees), who are elected by LLLGB Leaders. All our Leaders and trustees are volunteers.
Current members of the Council of Directors (COD)
- Administration Director – Rae Lowe admindirector@laleche.org.uk
- Finance Director – Caitriona Martin fd@laleche.org.uk
- Leader Accreditation Department Director – Vicki Clubley-Moore lad@laleche.org.uk
- Leader Department Director – Helen Russ leaderdepartment@laleche.org.uk
- Professional Liaison Director – Heather Birt pldirector@laleche.org.uk
- Public Relations and Media Director – Paula Muezerie Buchanan publicrelations@laleche.org.uk
- Publications Director – Nicola Sheldon publications@laleche.org.uk
- Education Department Director – Emma Baghdadi edd@laleche.org.uk
- General Director – Emilia Bertolo emilia@laleche.org.uk
- General Director – Kate Breen kate@laleche.org.uk
- General Director – Rachel O’Leary rachel@laleche.org.uk
- General Director – Jayne Joyce jayne@laleche.org.uk
- General Director – Vacant
Contact our Council of Directors: cod@laleche.org.uk
Our Annual Report and Financial Statement
Every year we produce an extensive Annual Report which describes our main activities, projects and achievements. We submit full accounts to Companies House and The Charity Commission.
LLLGB Annual Report & Financial Statement 2025
Professional Liaison Department (PL) and Panel of Professional Advisors (PPA)
LLL Leaders offer support with the normal course of breastfeeding. The Professional Liaison (PL) Department is a small department within LLLGB providing support and information to Leaders dealing with queries that are medically complex or unusual. Our PL Department are part of a wider LLL Global PL Group.
The LLLGB Panel of Professional Advisors (PPA) are a body of experts in breastfeeding and birth research and practice. They advise and support our Professional Liaison Department with queries that are medically complex or unusual.
La Leche League International
La Leche League GB (LLLGB) is an affiliate of La Leche League International (LLLI), the world’s largest mother-to-mother, peer-to-peer breastfeeding support organisation, founded in 1956.
LLLI is a founding member of the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) and is recognized by Unicef and the World Health Organization (WHO) as a world leader in breastfeeding expertise.
La Leche League GB
LLL began in Britain in 1971, registered as a UK charity in 1981, and became an LLLI Affiliate in 1984.
We celebrated our 50th anniversary in 2021.
LLLGB is represented across many different forums. We highlight and promote the views of breastfeeding families. For example:
- LLLGB representative Leaders sit on non-partisan, cross party government working groups on child health e.g. All Party Parliamentary Group on Infant Feeding and Inequalities;
- we provide evidence-based responses to government consultations e.g. LLLGB was one of the lead organisations in forming an alliance of breastfeeding organisations to produce the “Breastfeeding Supplement”to the parliamentary “1001 Critical Days” initiative;
- We provide evidence-based information to NGOs (e.g. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Baby Feeding Law Group (BFLG));
- LLLGB have representation on UNICEF’s National Scoping Project for mother-to-mother support groups and UNICEF’s BFIcommittee;
- We were involved in the founding of Baby Sleep Info Source (BASIS);
- We are a mother support partner organisation in the UK World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative;
- We are a member of World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA);
- We are a stakeholder in Best Beginnings;
- We represent the view of breastfeeding families and provide accurate information to the media;
- we advocate for breastfeeding mothers, families and babies.
Many LLLGB Leaders are active in their communities helping to ensure quality breastfeeding support is available to mothers. Many Leaders sit on: Infant Feeding Strategy Groups, Breastfeeding Local Implementation Groups, and Maternity Voices Partnerships.
LLLGB supports the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). We believe that breastfeeding is an integral part of ensuring the health and wellbeing of all children.
Photo courtesy of Lois Rowlands, © 2016