There were three good reasons why rain could not stop play at a very special picnic on Sunday!

Firstly, for twins and triplets born at St. Peter’s Hospital in the last two years it is the social event of the summer!

Secondly, everyone was congratulating Twins and Multiple Births Association (TAMBA) founder, Judi Linney, on receiving the MBE in the recent Queen’s Birthday Honours, awarded for her 40 years service to health care. 

Thirdly, it was the celebratory weekend of the 60th Anniversary of the NHS!

The picnic is held every year in the grounds of the Abbey Wing at St. Peter’s Hospital, Chertsey and is organised by midwives and Parent Education Coordinators Naomi Warrington and Rose Cooper.

Said Naomi: “We invite twins and triplets who have been born here in the past two years. About 60 sets of twins a year are delivered at St. Peter’s.  We see the parents during the antenatal time and then either on Joan Booker Ward or in Neonatal Intensive Care, but once the babies go home we don’t see them again.  That’s why it’s so nice to invite them to the annual picnic and we know the parents enjoy meeting-up.”

Said Judi: “My twin daughters were born at St. Peter’s Hospital 35 years ago.  I didn’t realise how hard it was going to be managing twins and without family help.  I got together with some other mothers of twins and that’s how TAMBA started.  Now there are more than 200 branches of TAMBA in the UK and it is as important as ever to parents, particularly in the current climate where parents may be short of money and TAMBA can give advice and help to get through those first early years.”