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| Coffee shop apologises for sign telling women to breastfeed in disabled toilet | Coffee shop apologises for sign telling women to breastfeed in disabled toilet |
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| A coffee shop in Surrey has apologised "unreservedly" for putting up a "badly-worded" sign telling groups of women to breastfeed in its disabled toilets instead of feeding their children at tables. | A coffee shop in Surrey has apologised "unreservedly" for putting up a "badly-worded" sign telling groups of women to breastfeed in its disabled toilets instead of feeding their children at tables. |
| The “polite notice” was taken down from the window of the family-owned Tillings Cafe in Gomshall on Tuesday afternoon after outraged residents posted pictures of it on social media. | The “polite notice” was taken down from the window of the family-owned Tillings Cafe in Gomshall on Tuesday afternoon after outraged residents posted pictures of it on social media. |
| Owner Jane Radford said the sign was principally aimed at highlighting the disabled toilet's other function as a “modern, clean” baby-change room which could provide more space for large groups of mothers breastfeeding. | |
| The Dorking branch of the National Childbirth Trust (DNCT) posted a picture of the sign on its Facebook page after a shocked member forwarded an image. | The Dorking branch of the National Childbirth Trust (DNCT) posted a picture of the sign on its Facebook page after a shocked member forwarded an image. |
| The notice read: “We have baby changing facilities in our spacious disabled toilet. There is also a chair nearby which can be taken inside for mothers who are breastfeeding – we reserve the right to ask GROUPS of breast feeding mothers to use this facility instead of feeding at the table”. | The notice read: “We have baby changing facilities in our spacious disabled toilet. There is also a chair nearby which can be taken inside for mothers who are breastfeeding – we reserve the right to ask GROUPS of breast feeding mothers to use this facility instead of feeding at the table”. |
| This is UNACCEPTABLE - please RT!! The following sign has been put up in Tillings Cafe in #Gomshall. @DorkingNCT pic.twitter.com/5jJuOKZIif | This is UNACCEPTABLE - please RT!! The following sign has been put up in Tillings Cafe in #Gomshall. @DorkingNCT pic.twitter.com/5jJuOKZIif |
| Zoe Woodman, branch coordinator at DNCT, says the area is home to lots of young families and mothers, many of whom have moved out of London after having children. | Zoe Woodman, branch coordinator at DNCT, says the area is home to lots of young families and mothers, many of whom have moved out of London after having children. |
| Her branch approached Ms Radford about the notice after anger over the sign grew steadily online. They then discussed the best ways of welcoming all customers into the café, including those who breastfeed their children. | Her branch approached Ms Radford about the notice after anger over the sign grew steadily online. They then discussed the best ways of welcoming all customers into the café, including those who breastfeed their children. |
| Ms Woodman told The Independent: “They were just trying to please lots of different customers and it just came off badly - it wasn’t well thought through, so we got in touch." | Ms Woodman told The Independent: “They were just trying to please lots of different customers and it just came off badly - it wasn’t well thought through, so we got in touch." |
| Tillings Cafe in Gomshall, Surrey Ms Woodman said she was pleased news of the sign encouraged positive discussions about women being able to feed their children in public. | Tillings Cafe in Gomshall, Surrey Ms Woodman said she was pleased news of the sign encouraged positive discussions about women being able to feed their children in public. |
| “We are glad that we could bring it to light to the incident – we want to change people’s attitudes about what is considered acceptable and what is not acceptable and draw attention to negative perceptions surrounding women breastfeeding in public," she said. | “We are glad that we could bring it to light to the incident – we want to change people’s attitudes about what is considered acceptable and what is not acceptable and draw attention to negative perceptions surrounding women breastfeeding in public," she said. |
| “It’s less about one sign and more about the fact that we have a right to feed our children whenever and wherever we please, regardless of how we chose to do it. | “It’s less about one sign and more about the fact that we have a right to feed our children whenever and wherever we please, regardless of how we chose to do it. |
| "This is not an isolated incident because breastfeeding outside of the home is still thought of as unacceptable. | "This is not an isolated incident because breastfeeding outside of the home is still thought of as unacceptable. |
| “For many mums, it's not always easy to feed in public, which is why lots go in with their other breastfeeding friends in cafés and other place. You need courage to breastfeed outside of the home. | “For many mums, it's not always easy to feed in public, which is why lots go in with their other breastfeeding friends in cafés and other place. You need courage to breastfeed outside of the home. |
| “It can isolate mums who might be nervous about feeding in public - it takes a lot to get out of the house full stop when you have a new baby. | “It can isolate mums who might be nervous about feeding in public - it takes a lot to get out of the house full stop when you have a new baby. |
| “It’s good that a lot of people got behind it because it has sent a very positive message that you cannot discriminate against a group if people in that way”. | “It’s good that a lot of people got behind it because it has sent a very positive message that you cannot discriminate against a group if people in that way”. |
| Ms Radford said the café has had many happy customers in the three years it has been trading, many of whom are also breastfeeding mothers. | Ms Radford said the café has had many happy customers in the three years it has been trading, many of whom are also breastfeeding mothers. |
| “We have never and would never ask a breast feeding mother to stop feeding, to leave because she was breastfeeding, refuse to serve a breastfeeding mum or knowingly treat a breastfeeding mum unfairly,” she said. | “We have never and would never ask a breast feeding mother to stop feeding, to leave because she was breastfeeding, refuse to serve a breastfeeding mum or knowingly treat a breastfeeding mum unfairly,” she said. |
| “As part of a general "housekeeping" customer sign we highlighted the use of our baby change room - which is also the large, modern and clean disabled toilet - as an area that could be used for breastfeeding in private. | “As part of a general "housekeeping" customer sign we highlighted the use of our baby change room - which is also the large, modern and clean disabled toilet - as an area that could be used for breastfeeding in private. |
| “This was with large groups of breastfeeding mums in mind - principally to provide more space. We worded this very badly and have apologised unreservedly for this. We have also taken down the sign and invited two prominent member of our local NCT branch to come to the cafe today to tell us where we went wrong - and how we can help turn all this to the positive good of the breastfeeding cause. | “This was with large groups of breastfeeding mums in mind - principally to provide more space. We worded this very badly and have apologised unreservedly for this. We have also taken down the sign and invited two prominent member of our local NCT branch to come to the cafe today to tell us where we went wrong - and how we can help turn all this to the positive good of the breastfeeding cause. |
| “We are an independently owned small business in a small Surrey village and our customers are in the main very local - which puts us in the ideal situation of being able to handle any customer dissatisfaction personally and promptly in the majority of cases.” | “We are an independently owned small business in a small Surrey village and our customers are in the main very local - which puts us in the ideal situation of being able to handle any customer dissatisfaction personally and promptly in the majority of cases.” |