Released on: 03 February 2021
NCT welcomes a change in the rules on exercising by the Welsh government
NCT welcomes a change in guidance from the Welsh government which means a new parent can meet another local mum or dad with their babies and toddlers.
The First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, has confirmed that parents can exercise with ‘one other person from one other household’ and the limitation ‘does not apply to children under 11 who can accompany you on your exercise’.
This means that new mums and dads get a vital opportunity to get out of the house for mutual support from other parents - and so do their babies and toddlers. This will help the many parents who have been struggling to cope with the isolation, anxiety and challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic – particularly those with no established networks among other local families and no support bubble.
Angela McConville, CEO, NCT, said: ‘Supported by our members in Wales, I wrote to Mark Drakeford acknowledging the challenges facing each of the UK administrations but stressing the significant benefits for new parents who have been able to meet with people from other households with their babies and toddlers.
‘This is a massive boost for parents in Wales. Being able to meet another person with babies in tow can make a huge difference. We hope our Walk and Talk groups will also be able to return to Wales soon, as we know how valuable they are proving to be.’
Since last September, 15,000 people across the UK have participated in an NCT ‘Walk & Talk’ group. These organised support groups are for new parents to meet and exercise outdoors with their babies, providing an ongoing safety net for parents’ mental wellbeing and vital social interaction for babies’ development.
Safe operating procedures and social distancing are observed and the charity is extremely careful to work within Government guidelines to ensure the safety of parents, babies and volunteers.
‘How our walk and talks are running in line with government guidance’.
