Inside 'baby bank' where desperate mums who can't afford nappies or clothes turn
Struggling families have told how they can’t afford basics like nappies, winter clothes and toys for their children amid the cost of living crisis.
The Mirror visited a “baby bank” which supplies thousands of parents struggling to make ends meet with bare essentials for under fives Little Village - one of around 200 baby banks across Britain - supported 7006 children in 2022 in their busiest year yet.
With demand skyrocketing thanks to soaring food and utility bills, volunteers who lovingly wash, sort and hand out pre-loved kit and baby clothes expect 2023 to be even busier.
When they come to Little Village, new mums usually leave with a bundle which would cost them around £1000 brand new.
“It’s just not achievable,” spokesperson Emma Gibbs told the Mirror. “It’s an awful dilemma that families find themselves in.”
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One mum visited their Hackney branch to collect essentials for her second child, due next month.
Parents can get clothes for their children (Phil Harris)The mum, 44, and her husband have fallen on hard times after health complications during her pregnancy forced her to stop work.
She was referred for support by her midwife who was worried about her welfare.
“I didn’t want to tell anyone that I wasn’t ready,” she told the Mirror. “When I was pregnant with my daughter I was working so I didn’t need anything.
“Previously I would always put food in the charity basket at the shopping centre. But now I need it. I can’t believe how much things have changed for me.
“Putting on the heater is a problem - so how can I buy some baby clothes? Even food is now expensive.
“I only turn my heating on for 20 minutes then I have to turn it off. When my daughter goes to sleep I put a hot water bottle on the bed to keep her warm.”
The baby bank also offers toys for children (Phil Harris)
Masha Guyard receives a push chair donation from Rosie Scott (Phil Harris)Mum-of-two Bibi Aisha, 33, from Tower Hamlets, has no recourse to public funds while her asylum application is pending.
Biba, who arrived from Bangladesh in 2014, is also reliant on food banks to feed her family.
“The queue is so long now and there is little food left,” she told the Mirror.
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She said Little Village was the only way she could get any toys for her kids, aged three and five.
A mum-of-three, who also volunteers at the baby bank, told how her family of five struggle to sleep in one bed in their cramped bedsit.
Nappies are also offered at the baby bank (Phil Harris)
Little Village is one of 200 'baby banks' around Britain (Phil Harris)Despite begging the housing authority for better accommodation for her kids aged five, three and six months, two of which are diagnosed with autism, she has been trapped in the tiny flat for seven years.
Fighting back tears, she told the Mirror: “My son wakes up and doesn’t go back to sleep, so he wakes up the other kids. I go everywhere and I am tired."
Tinah Nsemerizwe, 35, from Islington, told the Mirror she has a back problem from sharing a bed with her two daughters, aged five and eight.
“At Christmas I was struggling to get them presents,” she added. “Sometimes I have to go without so we can pay the bills and eat.
“Kids’ stuff is expensive and sometimes you have to sacrifice. You don’t want them to feel different.”
Volunteers expect 2023 to be their busiest year yet (Phil Harris)She left the baby bank with a much-needed winter coat for her five-year-old.
“She is going to be so excited,” she added.
Sophie Livingstone, CEO of Little Village, said the charity supported 40% more children year on year from 2021 to 2022. In 2023, they expect to support 9,000 children.
Demand is now so high they have had to introduce a weekly limit for referrals as they are at capacity.
Little Village is open from Monday to Wednesday (Phil Harris)“We have a weekly cap for referrals and when that cap is reached we close referrals for the week,” she told the Mirror.
“We are reaching that cap earlier and earlier each week.”
And in the face of soaring demand the charity has also seen a drop off in donations, as many families opt to resell bigger items like cots buggies rather than donate them.
“We can only fulfil about half of the big kit requests because we don’t have the items,” she added.
Calling for action to tackle the poverty crisis, she said: “The country is in total catastrophe and it doesn’t feel like the government has recognised that.
“The safety net has got too many holes in it. People are really falling through it now.”
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