We are delighted to have been highly commended at the Charity Awards 2024 in the campaigning and advocacy category.
Bliss’ work campaigning for Neonatal Care Leave and Pay – a new parental leave entitlement that will be introduced in April 2025 – was recognised by a panel of independent sector leaders as having demonstrated best practice at the 2024 Charity Awards on Tuesday 9 July at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.
With 30 brilliant charities shortlisted, we are proud to be in such good company and give our congratulations to all the winners and nominees, including the RNIB who won the campaigning and advocacy award.
Bliss has campaigned for many years to improve the support that parents of babies in neonatal care receive from their employers. During 2022-2023 we worked very closely with parliamentarians to ensure a Private Member’s Bill was brought forward to introduce a new statutory entitlement for parents, and campaigned throughout this period to support the Bill through all stages of its parliamentary journey to Royal Assent.
We have also worked throughout and since with the government to make sure that from April 2025 this new leave and pay entitlement will operate in the best way for the parents we support. From April 2025 qualifying parents of a baby who spends more than one week in neonatal care in the UK will be able to take 1 week of paid leave from work, for every week their baby is in hospital, up to 12 weeks.
Caroline Lee-Davey, Chief Executive at Bliss said:
“We are thrilled to have been highly commended by the judges at the Charity Awards this year for our work campaigning for Neonatal Care Leave and Pay. This new entitlement will mean that both parents be at their baby’s cotside in hospital throughout their neonatal stay, making a huge difference to babies as well as the whole family’s wellbeing.
“We can’t thank our supporters, campaigners and the other organisations who backed this enough. Together we’ve been able to create real change for neonatal families and are proud to have this recognised alongside other excellent campaigns in the charity sector.”
