helping hand

I volunteered at a baby bank – it’s a hard slog but so crucial… I’m desperate to return, says Fabulous writer

Claire Dunwell

Published: 20:20, 20 Jun 2023
Updated: 16:02, 21 Jun 2023

IF not for the jolly bright sticker on the window, you would be hard pressed to know just what goes on behind the shutters at Leeds Baby Bank.

At first glance, there is nothing to suggest that in an old city centre record shop, an army of hardworking women are sorting through clothes and organising them into boxes.

Claire Dunwell spent the day volunteering at the Leeds Baby Bank, a service which provides vital help for struggling families

I have come to spend the day volunteering as part of Fabulous’ Baby, Bank On Us campaign, which is urging readers to donate essential baby items, money, or offer their time to one of the 200 hubs across the UK.

With the knock-on effect of the crisis in the Ukraine as well as the Covid pandemic, more families than ever are relying on baby banks to survive.

Across the country, volunteers work hard to provide struggling families with basic but crucial necessities such as clothes, cots, prams and toiletries.

Within minutes of arriving, I can clearly see the magnitude of the work that goes into sifting through donations and making sure they are packaged up and sent out to the next family in need.

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Since its launch six years ago, Leeds Baby Bank has grown from receiving just a few referrals a week to more than 100 a month.

Ellie tells me: “We receive referrals from social workers, children’s centres, midwives and health visitors. That’s roughly 400 people who we help each month.

“Once we have a referral, our volunteers bundle up what the family needs and our three drivers deliver in the community.”

Leeds Baby Bank also runs an outreach service on Thursdays in four children’s centres and community hubs, three are “drop-in” , the fourth is referral only.

Ellie says: “This all happens thanks to the staff and volunteers who are the lifeblood of the charity.”

Ellie’s enthusiasm is infectious and after putting on my pinny, I cannot wait to muck in.

It is branch manager Jackie Appleton who shows me around.

There is row upon row of boxes where baby and toddler clothes have been divided up with precision, according to gender and age.

The staff at the Leeds Baby Bank have an infectious attitude which makes you want to muck in and help

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.

Public donations are dropped at the door, within a pre-arranged time slot, and my first job involves rummaging through a bag of baby gear and splitting it into piles.

There is a real community spirit inside the four walls and I am advised to keep items that are in good condition, with the rest going into recycling.

As I get to work with volunteer Anne, a former NHS worker, she tells me it was Jackie who persuaded her to work at the bank.

She says: “I was in the cafe at Marks & Spencers when I bumped into Jackie.

“We went to school together and she told me about the baby bank and the work they do.

“Eighteen months ago, I started volunteering regularly.

"During a typical day, I clean things down, take in deliveries, sort through clothes and put referrals together.

“So many families need our assistance and helping other people is so important.”

Around the table, we are also joined by volunteer Bernie, who used to work as a health visitor.

She has devoted two days a week to the bank for the past six months.

This involves helping at the hub and meeting families at the outreach facility.

She says: “There’s such a need for the service and it’s about giving back to the community and using the skills I learned during my previous occupation.

“Although we offer a specific service to families with babies up to five years old, we also signpost families to other services they might need.

“Families are so grateful for the work we do, which is the best part of volunteering. Knowing you’re helping people is so rewarding.”

Back on the “shop floor”, I am told there is a delivery of mum and baby toiletries, as well as sanitary products and cots, waiting in the unloading bay at the bottom of the building.

Ellie explains that although the room might look well stocked, the charity relies heavily on the continuing support of the public.

Baby banks provide essentials for young mums who need them mostCredit: Olivia West

Baby Banks are calling for more volunteers to help provide valuable help to struggling families

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Today, they are especially in need of clothes for toddlers and children up to the age of five.

She says: “Our funding is made up of public support, about a third of our income comes from their generosity, while grants from trusts, foundations, and Leeds CIty Council make up the rest.”

“It is the generosity of the public we rely on the most and volunteers form a huge part of that.

“If we were to get ten more volunteers who could devote time, one or two days a month, it would make a huge difference to the number of families we can help.

“At the moment we particularly need ones to help with social media and admin duties.

"But if anyone can commit to a small number of hours on a regular basis, which might be one morning a week, that would be great.”

After spending a day witnessing the hard slog that goes into running this well-oiled machine, I realise how crucial their work is.

And I don’t want to leave. With the day drawing to a close, I feel my work here isn’t done and I am keen to find a slot to return.

Because that is the draw of a place like Leeds Baby Bank and the others across the country.

They need our help. Spend just a day at one and I assure you, you’ll see what I mean.

I volunteered at a baby bank – it’s a hard slog but so crucial… I’m desperate to return, says Fabulous writer

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