Julie decided to set up her business, Mamaduck, when she realised just how much better it is to use real cloth nappies rather than disposable ones.

"Modern cloth nappies are much better than the old Terry squares," she says.

"They come in different shapes and sizes and with a range of fastenings which are easy to use. You can wash them as many times as you want and save a great deal of money.

"I believe mothers are becoming more inclined to consider using greener options to disposable nappies. Around nine million disposable nappies go into Britain's landfill sites every day – and they take hundreds of years to break down.

"Using disposables costs around £1,200 per baby, from birth until potty trained, while good quality real cloth nappies cost
from £200-£300 – and they can be used again for other babies."

Julie acknowledges the support she is receiving from Bradford Kickstart, the council programme encouraging more local people to set up their own business.

She spent 13 years working for the Skipton Building Society before having her two sons, now aged seven and 16 months.

"I am proud of myself," she says. "I am learning lots of new things and have even designed my own website: mamaduck.co.uk"

In addition to real nappies, Julie sells a range of eco-friendly toiletries and products designed to help breast-feeding mothers. She is a voluntary adviser on breast-feeding for SureStart Keighley and is keen to persuade more mums not to bottle feed.