Two weeks ago, I wrote to say how I had revisited two days of the Slingababy consultancy training and how it had completely ‘blown my mind’. Of the 6 women completing the course for the first time, 2 were peer supporters with NESL. Madeleine and Suzie had both completed the Born to Carry Peer Support course with me but wanted to develop their skills, both for their own professional development and the benefit of NESL. Many users of the library will have met one or both of these two wonderful women. They are dedicated to the library and firm friends. So this post is about them and gives you the opportunity to learn a little more about them. They are both insured to offer consultations as well as supporting at the sling library.
The nights have firmly drawn in and everywhere there are little hints that Christmas is only a month away. Personally, I am ignoring that fact as I have only purchased 5 gifts. However, the arrival of the festive season also brings our annual Christmas closure.
For each of the last two visits of the Lumiere Festival to Durham, we have opened to provide extra sling hire sessions. We plan to do the same this year! The Lumiere Festival runs from 16th-19th November (ticket details are 
The festival also gets extremely busy, so by using a carrier children are kept close an safe in the crowds (it is estimated 200,000 people visited in 2015). Even things such as getting the bus/park and ride into the city centre can be a little easier with a sling. Artichoke, the event organisers, even recommend that you use a sling rather than take pushchair. As a mum of two, I would also never have imagined taking mine if we hadn’t carried them.
Slings that are hired from the normal monthly drop in sessions will be charged at normal hire fees (£10 for 4 weeks) as these sessions only run once per month.
Slings and More 