about the NCT?

[happyhopefulmummy]

I joined the NCT when pregnant with my first (and only) child. Went to classes, met some ladies who I still see sometimes now. This was what I wanted the NCT for. I don't really use NCT for anything anymore. I get their green newsletter telling me about stuff going on in the area, and the quarterly magazine. I sometimes find the green newsletter useful.

However, I've just received notice that they will be taking £40 from my account for the next years membership. I'm thinking about cancelling it. I can't see the point. Is anyone else a member and can explain why it's still worth being a member? (Apart from the charity aspect) Maybe I'm missing something.

I think you can sell baby stuff at their nct sales

tropical you can sell at our locals ones without being a member, but members get first dibs at helping out at the sales therefore bagging all the best stuff!

The charity aspect really is the reason why you need to support this charity.

The NCT uses this money to support parents with get their NCT practitioners (ante natal teachers breastfeeding counsellors and Postnatal leaders ) trained they also use it to campaign for things.

If you feel it is a lot of money can I suggest that you consider the friends of NCT. The thing about being a member of a charity is you dont get anything of it you support a charity. It is a bit misleading when people say " oh we get our newsletter " nto all branches have a newsletter. You Do in many branches get priority for their NCT sales that is a perk of member ship but ultimately the reason to be a member of a charity is because you believe in what the chairty does and wish to support it to continue this.

I will suggest you read the " quarterly newsletter" to learn about what the NCT does as a charity. What the local branch does is more about networking. I will leave this by saying you may feel you do not need the NCT anymore but the NCT needs you.

Lonnie
NCT Breastfeeding counsellor
NCT Joint South East Regional coordinator
x NCT Trustee (just so no one says I have no clue or that I am biased you bet I am I think this is a FANTASTIC charity and it gave me some of my best friends an amazing job and a wonderful introduction into parenthood I think that is well worth supporting)

Actually, I should add that I met all my best friends through the nct, and am still friends with them 15 years on, so it is really great. It is especially valuable for women that have moved far away from their families, so they have a support network.

Lonnie

I guess I never saw any of the good work or support that they gave to me. There was no breastfeeding support, I went to a few of the groups/ coffee mornings they organised in desperation to meet people, but they were cliquey and I felt out of place and uncomfortable. I guess I have to look into it a bit more, or maybe start seeing it as a charity donation...

Does being a member get you first in the queue at NCT sales? If so you will more than save that £40 over year (if they have 2 sales a year).

They do some great campaigning work.

They do some great antenatal education (mine was good, anyway).

I met some brilliant friends through NCT who I am still close to, 7 years on. I know not everyone gets so lucky.

But it is completely up to you to decide whether you would rather support them or another charity. I am not a member anymore, but I think they're a great charity and I wish them all the best.

YANBU IMO but that is because I am bitter they have such a crap presence where I live. I would actually really like to go to classes etc but they are miles away from where I live (like 60 miles, not down the road).

I got a tremendous amount out of my membership, my ante-natal class friends are pretty well the closest friends I've got, 8 years down the line most of us still meet for coffee on a weekly basis, I met loads of other people via their groups and I volunteered with them for a couple of years after the birth of each of my DCs. I let my membership go once both my DCs had started school, as it had reached the point where I had no contact with the branch any more, and I felt that with the volunteering I had done my bit, but I really cannot underestimate the amount of good this charity has done for me and my family. The friendships and network have been hugely important for us, we didn't know anyone in our town other than neighbours till I joined the NCT, now we have a network of friends all over town. I'm sorry it hasn't worked out quite as you'd hoped with your local branch OP, but if you could view it as a charity and know that for many people it is invaluable then maybe you support it for a while longer?

Sorry if I sound niave but what is NCT please?

Our local NCT is amazing, 4 breastfeeding counsellors, plenty of ante and post natal support through baby groups and courses. They are also very involved in helping to raise money for a plumbed in birthing pool at the local midwife led unit.

HappyHopeful the support is not just about what each local area can support it is things like

having your partner present in labour
Not being shaved prior to going into labour
Being encouraged to express your wishes
if you go and look here it talks of the campaigns

Local campaigns can be things like ensuring birthing units didn't shut down

Ensuring that information on current issues for that early transition to parenthood is out there.

We have all as parents benefited from things like that.
So many view the NCT as their local branch but really that is the fringe benefits not what the NCT Charity is all about the support you give is to Head Office to aid with the national support for all 4 countries

Angel NCT is a parenting charity it used to be called National Childbirth trust but changed to NCT about 4 years ago. they do antenatal classes in many areas of the UK and have Breastfeeding counsellors and Post natal leaders plus branches that often does a lot of fundraising.

More can be found on their website nct

I can't say I'd feel it was worth it for £40, and if you like the charity aspect then that is still a big donation for something that you weren't drawn to because of their charity work.

The sales are supposed to be good, but I never made it to our local ones because they ate firmly infrequent. I also think its quite unfair the way they let helpers have the pick of the good stuff before anyone else. Doesn't seem very charitable to me.

Like you I joined the NCT for classes and went to a few coffee mornings when DS was small, also helped out at the infamous sales to get first dibs on the bargains.
They also have a houseswap section on their website which is fab and has led to about 4 holidays for us in the UK completely free.

However if you feel that it has outlived its usefulness for you then absolutely move on, use the money to put towards National Trust membership or zoo or soft play or whatever suits your family now.

Maples it is a shame you have had that experience however the local branches are run by volunteers and sometimes it will not be as smooth as we feel it should be. It is also a shame you didnt feel that your needs were met by the course you were on. Not everyone will gel and it can be hard when all you have is a weekend. Plenty however do manage to do so but we cant always have a success for everyone.

With regards to the call back we from the lines stick with the call back twice if no reply and no answer phone we have to assume that the caller no longer wishes the info or if they do then please call back. But if you continue to get a engaged or no answer it may be the caller has regretted and is deliberately not answering. We are only human and need to accept things will slip.

It is great you are training to be a BFC I believe this is a fantastic thing to do.

For some people a charity mainly staffed by volunteers will go wrong but I can find you people where it went wonderful I am one such example even though I didnt have a great deal of support from my local branch when I had my oldest.. By the time I had my 2nd I got involved and well I got VERY involved..

Outraged - I am about to quit as a volunteer for my local branch (and infact our branch is under threat of closure) because some people don't seem to realise that sales are totally run by VOLUNTEERS who have to spend literally hours and hours arranging them. In our branches case, this meant about 3 people doing stacks of work. So sorry if sales aren't frequent enough for you! And the same thing goes for helpers, unfortunately you need some sort of carrot to get people to help and that's usually to allow them to have first dibs.

OP - as others have said, it's a charity so treat it like any others you do or don't support.

Sorry for slight thread hijack but it really makes me cross that some people seem to think everyone who does stuff for nct is doing it for a big pay check.

Spammertime - are you in the south-west? Sounds like our local branch. I've just submitted an article to the local paper begging for volunteers to keep the branch going.

YANBU. I am a post-natal supporter for NCT because I have a knack for it (I haven't forgotten my own PND) but I think it is a dreadful organisation.

It is too politicized, it has too much of an agenda, some of the ante natal advice is frankly militant and ridiculous ('the doctors are out to get you') and it weights too much power with midwives against the obstetric teams.

And, because I am cynical, I think that the NHS allows this because NATURAL CHILDBIRTH IS THE CHEAPEST OPTION for a socialist, producer-driven outdated statist model.

Please note these statistics:

1 in 4 British women suffer birth damage.

UK has the most birth-damage repair obgyn consultants in the world.

NOT ONCE was the possiblity of birth damage mentioned once, when I was being told that the ultimate experience of womanhood was second stage. NOT ONCE were we advised to ask our mothers and g mothers about their experiences of labour and childbirth (the biggest predictor). Fuckin hessian-sacked agenda driven lentil munchers.

Wobbly being her normal provocative self!!!!!

PS but that whole stuff about breast feeding? Its true. The difference in immune system of the babies who bf and the ones who don't, regarding ear infections, tonsilitis, abcesses, antibiotics etc., was just too marked to be coincidental.

YANBU, I don't know anyone who rates their antenatal class, everyone seems to openly admit that they just went to meet people but weren't really into their ethos

shame people don't just bypass them, there must be cheaper ways for pregnant/new mums to meet others at the same stage as them!

Spammer,imsorry if I offended you, or anyone else that volunteers for the NCT, that wasn't my intention.

I do know what is involved in being a volunteer, and in getting people to help. My dh and I help run a small registered charity and my part takes me about five full days work a month. I did have another voluntary role as well (Samaritan) but had to give that up after a few years because of the time commitment they required. Sorry, but I do believe the way the NCT vols get 'first dibs' is wrong, and I would never allow perks like that in 'our' charity.

I agree, very few people would volunteer to help without the perk of first pick at the sales. Ours are twice a year and a lot of work goes into it, before during and after, booking the hall, advertising, arranging catering, organising all the sellers information and registering the sellers, organising volunteers, about 20 people are needed from around 9 till 5 on the day, then all the money has to be counted and collated with the individual sellers ticket sales, cheques written and posted then the whole thing starts again. I doubt you would get this done without the first pick perk.

The local volunteers are inavariably parents with young children, so they may not be able to return calls immediately etc, it's only the ante-natal teachers an BF counsellors that get paid.

I never go to NCT nearly news either, there would be just as many nearly new sales if there was no NCT, people would just get on with it and do it anyway and bypass the NCT (like they do round my way - not posh enough for NCT ;-) )

hessian-sacked agenda driven lentil munchers

ROFL and so very true