Machibet777 BetI couldn’t afford to dress my premature baby - my local baby bank was a godsend & gave me clothes, nappies and a crib | The Sun - Machibet Live

WHEN Kaya Elder’s baby girl was born five weeks premature, weighing just 4lb 12oz, the 28-year-old mum didn’t have clothes to fit her tiny newborn - and couldn’t afford to buy any.

Her mother-in-law told her about a local baby bank, and desperate Kaya, who works part-time in a chip shop, swallowed her embarrassment to ask them for help.

When Kaya Elder’s baby girl was born five weeks premature, the 28-year-old mum didn’t have clothes to fit her tiny newbornCredit: Carol Driver - Supplied

Kaya said she had already bought newborn clothes for her daughter which she saved up for, so she couldn’t afford to buy any more.Credit: Carol Driver - Supplied

After volunteers at the Buttons & Bows baby bank put out a request to families for resources, within days Kaya had a bundle of clothes, nappies and PJs for her newbornCredit: Carol Driver - Supplied

After the volunteers put out a request to families for resources, within days, Kaya had a bundle of small clothes, nappies and PJs for newborn Olivia, as well as a Moses basket.

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Since then, Kaya - who lives in a two-bed council house in Perth, Scotland, with her husband Daniel, 27, who lost his job in a supermarket in April - has visited Buttons & Bows Baby Bank, picking up wet wipes, baby meals and PJs.

And she’s far from alone, as exclusive research of 2,000 mums for , in partnership with Save The Children and Little Village in support of UK baby banks, found that 15% of mums have visited a baby bank and 53% have no savings.

The campaign is calling for volunteers, second hand goods and monetary donations for Britain's 200 baby banks.

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Kaya says: “My daughter was born five weeks early, on 24 January 2022. I’d already got newborn clothes for her, some of which we'd had to save up for, so I couldn’t afford to buy any more. It was a horrible situation, it would have been awful to have not been able to dress her probably. There was a lot going on because she was born early and the birth didn't go to plan. It was really scary.

How YOU can support Fabulous' Baby, Bank On Us campaign

- Give money by donating or by scanning the QR code.

- Give clothing, toys and essentials to a baby bank, wherever you are in the UK.

- Give your time volunteering. To find your nearest baby bank, visit .

“After the baby bank asked people for help for me, I went and picked up two or three bags filled with essentials that we couldn’t have done without. It was a godsend.

“I recommend the baby bank to everyone I meet! If people have items they no longer want or need, I tell them to donate them to the baby bank, as there are people who are in desperate situations who would really appreciate the help.”

Buttons & Bows Baby Bank was started by local Caroline Moore in September 2020. As well as providing free baby essentials, such as nappies and wet wipes, it also holds regular activities that are free of charge.

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With the cost of living crisis, I think we’re all in a situation that we don’t want to be in
Kaya Elder

Kaya says Buttons & Bows has been a lifeline for her family. Due to the cost of living crisis, at times she’s been forced to use a food bank, too, to ensure there is food on the table. Without these facilities, she would have been faced with the impossible choice of deciding who in her family got to eat dinner.

She says: “We have really struggled financially. There were a few times since Olivia was born when we weren’t able to get help from friends or family when we couldn’t afford to buy food and ended up using a food bank, too.

If the baby bank wasn't there, we wouldn’t have been able to afford to eat dinner on a few occasions
Kaya Elder

“If they weren’t there, we wouldn’t have been able to afford to eat dinner on a few occasions.

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“Obviously, we would have always prioritised Olivia and her needs and we would have gone without ourselves, but thankfully it didn’t come to that as there was the support around us. I don’t know what we would have done without it.”

Since losing his job, Daniel has struggled to find work. The pair now claim Universal Credit and say that after paying their bills and rent, they’re left with about £300 a month to spend on food. On the rare occasion they need anything for themselves, they have to plan months in advance and save for it.

She says: “At one point, Olivia needed two-piece PJs as she was popping open the one-piece ones that were getting too small for her. Her leg was getting cold in the night. Thankfully the baby bank had some, so that was a real help.

“It’s also been good to be able to donate some of Olivia’s toys and clothes that she’s outgrown back to the baby bank. I like that I’m able to give back to help others who might be in a similar situation.

“I’d say to anyone who is thinking about using a baby bank but might feel embarrassed that they don’t have to feel that way. With the cost of living crisis, I think we’re all in a situation that we don’t want to be in, and it really does help with things that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford.”

What are baby banks?

- Baby banks provide essential items for babies and young children whose parents are living in poverty – including nappies, wipes, clothing, bedding, Moses baskets, cots, blankets, toys and books.
- There are over 200 baby banks in the UK, and they run out of shops, community centres, warehouse units and even people’s living rooms and garages.
- Last year 4.2 million children in the UK were living in poverty and 800,000 children lived in a household that used a food or baby bank.

Caroline, founder of the Bows & Buttons Baby Bank, said: “The baby bank is needed more now than ever before, as everything costs a fortune. Even from our point of view as a baby bank, the cost of nappies and baby food, toiletries are rocketing and we go through tonnes of those every week.

I couldn’t afford to dress my premature baby – my local baby bank was a godsend & gave me clothes, nappies and a crib

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