There is a whole team of people working to keep the Sheffield Sling Surgery supporting over 300 people each month.

There is a lot of behind the scenes activity to keep it all running; many hours of work beyond the public open sessions. The library’s focus is strongly on supporting families to build bonds, and all our volunteers are parents who have loved (and still love) carrying their children and want to share their experiences with others. Some of our supporters are highly trained professionals themselves, to consultant or peer supporter level, or committed administrator staff. You can read more about some of the people involved below. They are all worth their weight in gold!

Want to get involved as a friend of the Surgery or train as a peer supporter and volunteer at sessions? Just get in touch!

Rosie Knowles

Rosie Knowles

Rosie founded the Sling Surgery in 2013 and has lovingly nurtured it into a valuable Sheffield resource for parents and children. She and Rob opened Sling spot in 2015. The Carrying Matters website and the Why Babywearing Matters book arrived in 2016. She trains babywearing peer supporters through Born to Carry and remains a working medical doctor three days a week.

Rob Knowles

Rob Knowles

Rob is the man behind Rosie herself and has been there from the beginning. A vital part of ensuring the service runs smoothly, he works mostly behind the scenes; admin, phoning, answering queries, heavy lifting, maintenance, website admin, supporting Kiri and the team, and will often be found at the shop counter! He has carried both children; mostly in his arms, rarely with a sling.

Sophie White

Sophie White

Sophie hails from Stocksbridge and two sons! Sophie has been involved in peer supporting and the running of the Stocksbridge Sling Meet for Sheffield Sling Surgery from her first son being small - first visiting as a bump and becoming a permanent fixture shortly after. Sophie also works in the shop and central library and thoroughly enjoys her days, always busy and always has a smile for everybody! She is currently on maternity leave and we miss her!

Lindsay Snow

Lindsay Snow

Lindsay was one of the first babywearing peer supporters trained by Rosie in 2014 and together they co-founded the 4th Trimester group in 2015. Lindsay originally got into slings because they allowed her family the freedom to visit otherwise inaccessible climbing locations. In addition to hosting the weekly 4T sessions, Lindsay provides consultancy, training, and support for parents, caregivers and professionals interested in developing responsive relationships with babies and children. Her Facebook group, Understanding Kids, is highly regarded as a non-judgemental learning space for discussing any and all parenting challenges.