I’d be awake all night worrying about money – I couldn’t see a way out, but the support of the baby bank saved me
ELLIE Jones had every intention of going back to her job as a mental health support worker after her daughter, Henrietta, was born.
But while on maternity leave, Ellie, 29, and her wife Alice, 26, worked out that forking out on childcare would actually leave them out of pocket, so it made more sense for one of them to stay at home.
It meant their joint income almost halved overnight, and they struggled to afford everyday essentials with the cost of living increases and bills rising.
Thankfully, Ellie, from Coventry, found support at a nearby baby bank called .
When she contacted them, they provided her with nappies, wipes and Sudocrem, as well as clothes for 16-month-old Henrietta - and they brought the items to Ellie’s home, as she wasn’t able to afford the bus fare to collect them.
It comes as exclusive research of 2,000 mums for Fabulous’ Bank On Us campaign in partnership with Save The Children and Little Village in support of UK baby banks, found some 15% have visited a baby bank, while 68% say the cost of living crisis has affected their mental health.
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Ellie said: “I was working full time for a charity until Henrietta was born in December 2021, and I thought I’d go back to work at least part-time after going on maternity leave.
We’ve got a house and we’re able to get the essentials, we’re not poverty stricken or on the streets
Ellie Jones
“But when Alice, who works full time as a site manager, and I started to look at nursery costs in February 2022, it was coming in at around £1,400 a month for three or four days a week. I only earned £100 a month more than that, so that would leave me with £100 for food and travel.
“It wasn’t financially worthwhile to go back to work, but I was happy to stay at home with Henrietta. Although I was getting statutory maternity pay and financially we were really struggling. It got to the point that I was really worried about money all the time, and it was affecting my mental health.”
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 .
Ellie said she visited local charity shops and managed to get a few things really cheaply when Henrietta was six months old. But they still needed further support.
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, who live in a two-bedroom private house, also started to use a social supermarket, which sells discounted food for those on a lower income.
Ellie then saw a post on her local council website saying those who were struggling with the cost of living crisis should contact them. She called them and they referred her to the baby bank.
“I felt really embarrassed, like this isn’t for me. We’ve got a house and we’re able to get the essentials, we’re not poverty stricken or on the streets. We used to donate to food banks, and I felt as though I shouldn’t be taking advantage of it,” she said.
I was feeling really desperate and stressed about money and costs all the time, and I didn’t know how to fix it
Ellie Jones
“But after speaking to friends, they said it’s there for everyone and to use it and give back when we were in a position to.
“We live really simply and we don’t go out and do stuff, if we do it’s a free event.
“So I called the baby bank, and they were so kind and helpful.
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.
“As well as bringing round things like nappies, wipes and Sudocrem, they also brought a couple of snowsuits in sizes bigger than Henrietta was at the time, which was really helpful.”
Ellie said without this support, it may have meant the couple would have been forced to go without food to make sure Henrietta was provided for.
She said it really affected her mental health, and she became anxious, worrying how they would make ends meet.
“I was feeling really desperate and stressed about money and costs all the time, and I didn’t know how to fix it. I couldn’t see a way of it getting any better.
We’ve also relied on friends and family who would buy things like nappies for us
Ellie Jones
“I would be awake all night worrying about our finances. I looked at ways to get money quickly, including selling my own breast milk, but that wasn’t worth anything! We sold Henrietta’s old clothes and toys and other things we didn’t want on MarketPlace just to get a bit of extra cash.
“I’m so glad the support was there. I would say to other women to not feel embarrassed, and to get help when they need it.
“We’ve also relied on friends and family who would buy things like nappies for us. But now, we’re able to manage by ourselves. We still visit the social supermarket, but I don’t get anything from the baby bank now, although I know I can go back whenever I need to.
“I will give back when we’re in a position to, so others can benefit as we have. And I plan to go back to work when Henrietta qualifies for free childcare when she’s three years old.”
Belle Edgar-McCab, from Coventry, 44, started Baby Godiva baby bank after overhearing a conversation four years ago during which a new mum couldn’t afford nappies for her baby.
In that time, she said demand for the baby bank, to which parents need to be referred to by a welfare professional, or via self-assessment, has increased “exponentially”.
They’re able to deliver items such as pushchairs, beds, feeding equipment such as bottles and sterilisers, high chairs, stair gates and clothing. All items come from donations or grant raising.
“Help is always there if you reach for it. Women have been supporting women with raising babies since they were handing infant sized animal skins from cave to cave. We've always done it, it’s the way that women work,” Belle said.
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“And the loss of community means that you don't have people turning up on your doorstep with the stuff that they have used for their children any longer because you don't know who your neighbours are.
“However, if you need help, and you don't have that community around you, it is always there if you reach out to the dedicated baby banks or children's charities because they're all run by people just like me, who are there specifically to help women or families that are in need.”
BABY BANK LOCATIONS
BELOW is a selection of baby banks by region. See the web address at the end of the page to find contact details for all the country’s baby banks
- North West
Baby Basics Bolton & Bury, West Lancashire
Baby Basics Carlisle, Cumbria
Baby Basics South Lakes, Cumbria
Baby Basics, Cleator Moor, West Cumbria
Trafford Little Bundles, Lancashire
TippyToes BabyBank Preston, Lancashire
Salford Baby Bank, Lancashire
Snowdrop Doula CIC Burnley, Lancashire
Cascade Baby Bundles, Audenshaw, Cheshire
The Baby Room at Spinners, Leigh, Lancashire
The Healthy Gems Baby Bank, Oldham, Lancashire
NCT Mid Cheshire
NCT Preston Baby Bundles, Lancashire
KidsBank Chester, Cheshire
Motherwell Pass It On Baby Bank, Winsford, Cheshire
Hyndburn Baby Bank, Accrington, Lancashire
- North East
Growbaby Newcastle, Tyne & Wear
Love, Amelia, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear
Birth Bath and Beyond, Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Clothe and Feed South Shields, Tyne & Wear
Clothe and Feed Sunderland, Tyne & Wear
Rosie's Corner, Hexham, Northumberland
Stockton Baby Bank, County Durham
Darlington Baby Bank, County Durham
Baby Basics Darlington
Growbaby Hull, Yorkshire
Little Acorns Baby Bank Durham, County Durham
Hartlepool Baby Bank, County Durham
- North
Growbaby Teeside, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees
Baby Basics Leeds, West Yorkshire
Baby Basics Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Leeds Baby Bank, West Yorkshire
Baby Basics Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Birth Bath and Beyond Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Bradford Baby Bank, West Yorkshire
POPI Baby Bank Keighley, West Yorkshire
Rainbow Baby Bank Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire
Stepping Stones Baby Bank Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Calderdale Lighthouse, West Yorkshire
Tiny Hands Baby Bank Pontefract, West Yorkshire
Growbaby York, North Yorkshire
- South West
Ashley's Birthday Bank, Christchurch, Dorset
Baby Bank Network Bristol
Baby Basics Gloucester, Gloucestershire
Baby Basics Cornwall
Baby Basics Plymouth
Brighter Bristol Storehouse, Bristol
Baby Basics South, Ilminster, Somerset
Growbaby Tiverton, Devon
Children's Storehouse Plymouth, Devon
Uplift Tiverton, Devon
Exeter Baby Bank Network, Devon
Little Lighthouse Baby Bank Wythenshawe, Manchester
Baby Bundles Wiltshire
The Nest Project, Bath, Somerset
Gloucestershire Bundles, Gloucester
Open Door Exmouth, Devon
Forest of Dean Baby Bank, Gloucestershire
Small Stuff Baby Bank, Radstock, Somerset
Stroud District Kid's Stuff, Gloucestershire
Teignmouth Baby Bank, Devon
Ten Little Toes Baby Bank, Cowfold, West Sussex
Growbaby Swindon, Wiltshire
- South East
Baby Bank & Beyond (South Wealden) CIC (Hellingly), East Sussex
Baby Bank Herts, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire
Sebby's Corner Borehamwood, Hertfordshire
Stevenage Babyshed, Hertfordshire
Baby Basics Billericay, Essex
Growbaby Whitstable, Kent
Growbaby Aylesbury, Bucks
Baby Basics Bromley, Kent
Best Start Baby Bank, Eastbourne, Sussex
Basildon Borough Baby Bank, Essex
Growbaby Maidstone, Kent
Growbaby Rayleigh, Essex
Baby Basics Chelmsford, Essex
Growbaby St Albans, Herts
Growbaby Hemel Hempstead, Herts
Precious Bundles Colchester, Essex
Fighting Chance Baby Bank, Petworth, West Sussex
Baby2Baby, East Sussex
Baby Basics Brighton
Baby Basics Dover & Deal, Kent
Baby Basics Englefield Green, Surrey
Baby Basics Folkestone, Kent
Baby Basics Willvern, Essex
First Days Reading, Berkshire
Baby Basics Hastings and Rother, East Sussex
Baby Basics, Grays, Kent
Baby Basics Shoreham, West Sussex
NCT Winchester Baby Bundles, Hampshire
NCT Woking Baby Bundles, Surrey
Pelican Parcels Brighton and Hove, Sussex
Baby Stuff Braintree, Essex
Tots 2 Teens Colchester baby bank, Essex
Stripey Stork, Reigate, Surrey
Sunshine Baby Bank Southend, Essex
The Baby Bank HQ Havering, Essex
The Baby Bank HQ Thurrock, Essex
Community Wardrobe Chelmsford, Essex
The Baby Bank Windsor, Berkshire
Growbaby Storehouse Ashford, Kent
Moses Basket Brentwood, Essex,
Growbaby Chelmsford, Essex
NCT Little Bundles Baby Bank Chichester & Arun, West Sussex
NCT Baby Bundles Sevenoaks and Tonbridge, Kent
Mama to Mama, Margate, Kent
Home-Start West Berkshire Baby Bank, Newbury, Berkshire
Growbaby, Wokingham, Berkshire
The Baby Bank HQ Barking, Dagenham and Redbridge, Essex
- South
Baby Basics Portsmouth, Hampshire
Baby Basics Guildford
Baby Branch Southampton, Hampshire
Baby Necessities Southampton, Hampshire
Portsmouth Baby Bank, Hampshire
- Channel Islands
Baby Basics Jersey
- London
214 SPACE Baby Bank Hub Brent
214 SPACE Baby Bank Hub Hammersmith & Fulham
214 SPACE Baby Bank Hub Kensington & Chelsea
Growbaby Lighthouse, Sutton, Greater London
Growbaby, Newham
Growbaby, Merton
Bromley Brighter Beginnings
Growbaby Purley
Baby Basics, Barnet
Cariad Baby Bank, Harrow
Growbaby Kingston upon Thames
Choices Boutique Islington
Cornerstone Baby Bank Leyton
Growbaby Wandsworth
Baby Basics Sunbury
Growbaby Enfield
Ealing Salvation Army Baby Bank
The Small Project South London
Tiny Toes, Tiny Feet, Northwood
Camberwell Baby Bank
Orchard Baby Bank, Woodford
Peabody Toddlers Clothes Bank, Ilford
Pram Depot Wood Green
Little Village (London-wide)
Mammakind Baby Bank, Greenwich
MerryGoRound Islington
Growbaby Hoxton
NCT Redbridge Baby Bundles
Hackney Children & Baby Bank
Ilford Salvation Army Baby Bank
Mama2Mama Woolwich
Lloyd Park Children's Charity Baby Bank Walthamstow
The Extra Mile, Hampton, Richmond Upon Thames.
- Midlands
Brierley Hill Baby Bank, Dudley, West Mids
Baskets of Joy Leicester
Growbaby Leicester
Alice Charity, Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire
Growbaby Northampton
The Arches, Nottingham
High Peak Baby Bank, Buxton, Derbyshire
Growbaby, Nuneaton, Warwickshire
Growbaby Bedworth, Warwickshire
Bicester Baby Bank, Oxfordshire
Elayos Baby Bank Birmingham
Baby Basics Wolverhampton
Growbaby Birmingham St Michaels Church
Baby Aid Birmingham
Baby Basics Warwick
Baby Godiva Coventry
Growkids Coventry
Baby Basics Chesterfield, Derbyshire
Baby Basics Long Eaton, Notts
Baby Basics Leicester
Baby Basics Northampton
Baby Basics Hinckley, Leicestershire
Growbaby Birmingham Vineyard City Centre Site
Tots in Need Walsall, West Mids
Spark Baby & Children's Bank Staffordshire
Staffordshire Baby Bank, Stafford, Staffs
Telford and Wrekin Baby and Toddler bank, Shropshire
Clothe and Feed Wallsend, Herefordshire
Little Stars Shropshire
Karis Baby Bank Central Birmingham
NCT Malvern Hills Baby Bundles, Worcs
Little Cherub's Baby Bank High Peak, Derbyshire
Growbaby Worcester
- Wales
Baby Basics Dryffryn Clwyd Denbigh
Baby Basics Vale of Glamorgan
Baby Basics Newtown
Baby Basics Swansea
Baby Basics Port Talbot
Baby Basics Wrexham
Cwtch Baby Bank Cardiff
Baby Basics Penrhiwceiber
Cariad a Cwtch Baby Bank Llandrindod Wells
Growbaby Cardiff
Pembrokeshire Baby Bank
Splice Baby Bank Bridgend
Bundles Baby Clothing and Birth Support, Newport
Bethel Baby Bank Port Talbot
NCT Cardiff Baby Bundles
Ely Baby Bank
Feed Newport Baby Bank
- Scotland
Bairn Necessities, Glasgow
AberNecessities, Aberdeen
Growbaby Fife
Baby Bank Scotland, Hamilton
Bairnecessities Aberdeenshire
Bear Necessities Airdrie
Togs for Tots Dundee
Glasgow Baby Food Bank
GRA Baby Bank Aberdeenshire
Nelly Boxes East Renfrewshire Baby Bank
No 1 Glasgow Baby & Family Support Service
Tiny Treasures Baby Bank Oban
Button and Bows Baby Bank Perth
Cumbernauld & Kilsyth Care
Misty Glen Baby Bank Fort William
Dingwall Primary Baby Bank
Moray Baby Bank
Monklands Baby and Family Clothing Aid
- East
Abi's Footprints, Sudbury, Suffolk
Baby Bank Norfolk
Baby Basics Lowestoft, Suffolk
Baby Basics West Norfolk
West Marsh Baby Bank, Lincolnshire
Suffolk Baby Bank, Bury Saint Edmunds
Baby's Basket, Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Growbaby Thetford, Norfolk
Growkids Norwich, Norfolk
Fenland Family and Baby Bank, Cambridgeshire
GrowKids Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Little Family Baby Bank, Sutton On Sea, Lincolnshire
Little Treasures Baby Bank, Horncastle, East Lincolnshire
Little Bundles, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
- Northern Ireland
Baby Basics Antrim & Newtonabbey
Baby Basics Ballymena
Baby Basics Belfast
Bump2Baby NI (Mid-Ulster Baby Bank)
Baby Basics Banbridge
Baby Basics Causeway
Baby Basics Magherafelt
Baby Basics Mullavilly
Growbaby Enniskillen
Carrickfergus Baby Bank