Many of you will have seen Best Beginnings' new DVD "From Bump to Breastfeeding" - a resource which, thanks to funding from all 4 UK nations and the Tedworth Charitable Trust, plus support from many committed individuals, charities and organisations, now goes out for free to every pregnant woman in the UK.

We want to create a resource just like this to enable us to help give Britain's tiniest and sickest babies an equal chance at a best beginning too. We want to make another DVD - this time aimed at parents of premature and ill term (special care) babies.

The DVD will empower parents of babies who spend time in special care and intensive care to take a pivotal role in their baby's care. To enable them to have the information and motivation to:

Express and establish breastfeeding

Enjoy kangaroo-care (skin-to-skin)

Understand their babies non-verbal cues (developmental care)

Why? Because premature babies who do receive breastmilk, skin-to-skin and empathatic care respond better, and have better outcomes, developing at a faster rate than those who don't.

These babies are some of the tiniest and most vulnerable born in the UK. They need your help to give them a fighting chance at a healthy life.

Mirelle, mother of now 9 month old Olivia whom you see featured in the picture to the left, says:

“Our beautiful daughter Olivia was born at 25 weeks, weighing only 760 grams. She was almost unrecognisable as a baby - tiny, bruised and fragile. Seeing her grow into a chubby little girl, just from my breastmilk, is incredibly empowering to me.”

Around 50,000 babies are born too soon each year in the UK and tragically almost 1,500 die as a result of related complications - that’s 25 babies a week

We are launching an appeal to raise £500,000 to see us through the DVD’s crucial pre-production phase, production, and to ensure every family with a baby in a neonatal/special care unit receives a free copy. Whether you give via regular giving, or a one-off donation, we urgently need your support to ensure the future existence of Best Beginnings and to continue our work creating innovative resources to support the families of all Britain's babies.

Your contribution is critical. Please make a one off donation via this page, and if you can, please consider setting up a regular monthly donation via our main page on www.justgiving.com/bestbeginnings/donate. Regular income like this is the lifeblood of the charity: simply put, we won't be here next winter without it.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It's the most effective way to support us: Best Beginnings gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

This may well be the most important gift you give this year.