I set up the first baby bank in Jersey – people think it’s a tax haven but struggling mums here need help
A MUM has launched the first baby bank in Jersey to help struggling families during the cost-of-living crisis.
Vicky Clayton, 38, a former social worker, set up a branch of Baby Basics on the Channel Island after feeling there was “such a need that wasn’t being met”.
The volunteer-led project is now open for referrals, which are made through midwives, medical professionals and social workers.
Volunteers at Baby Basics Jersey are provided with the baby’s due date and the mother’s initials.
They then arrange a basket full of newborn essentials and postnatal toiletries for the mum.
Vicky said the bank has had two referrals since it opened last month and that embarrassment may stop some families from coming forward to ask for help.
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The mum-of-three said: “In Jersey, it’s really important for us to do it very anonymously. It’s a really small community, so we do it all by initials and estimated due date rather than names being shared.”
Jersey is home to just 103,100 people and 840 babies were born to resident mothers last year.
"Some people think of Jersey as a tax haven and might be surprised to hear that a baby bank is needed here - but it is," said Vicky.
"People can face unexpected struggles in every place. Jersey is part of the British Isles, so we’re not exempt from the high inflation and the cost-of-living crisis."
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According to a new report by the , the average shopping basket will cost 12 percent more there compared to the UK due to the freight and labour costs.
Islanders spend on average £112 per week on groceries and for a family of five, Vicky said she spends roughly £200 a week on the food shop.
And the rental cost of housing for a two or three bedroom accommodation is around £1,500 - £2,000.
Meanwhile, according to , the average UK household spends around £103 on the weekly food shop.
And the average rent of a three-bedroom home in Greater London is also £2,000, according to .
These two figures aided Vicky in forming her opinion that she could do something to help.
“I’ve worked in social care for a long time and I could see that the families were being impacted by it. I just felt it was a real need," she told Fabulous for our Baby, Bank On Us campaign, in partnership with Save The Children and Little Village in support of UK baby banks.
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 .
The idea came to her five years prior, but finally started taking shape in 2022, when she and a group of people from St. Mark’s Church came together.
“We were looking at the community around us and thought about how we could start growing,” she told us.
“We then contacted Baby Basics and said we’d like to do it from St. Mark’s Church, could you help guide us through it? They then came over to chat to us and see if it was suitable.”
Vicky got the OK from the headquarters and then set about building it from the ground up.
Luckily, she had some help. While Vicky poured some of her own money into , she also had financial donations from the church community and general public.
She used the £2,000 raised to cover some of the initial start-up costs by getting items such as toiletries for mums and babies as well as Moses baskets.
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.
Earlier this year, they began accepting donations, which they’ve had an influx of.
“We have 10 large black sacks at the moment that we need to sort through,” Vicky shared. “They need to be washed, ironed and sorted. Then we have boxes in our store filled with age-specific items broken down into gender and size.”
Catering from newborns up to the age of three months old only, the Moses baskets and starter packs are decked out with all the essentials a struggling mum might need.
“It’s got a brand new mattress, eight vests, eight babygrows, eight outfits, mittens, hats, muslins, sleep bags, three blankets, pram suit,” Vicky said. “A book, a toy and a soft comforter, and much more”.
While Vicky and the team of five volunteers have done an incredible job at setting Baby Bank Jersey up, they still need help getting the word out.
Vicky shared: “I think once the baskets start going out faster, then mums start talking about them and professionals start talking about them… I can see the uptake will increase.
“It’s just getting established at the beginning. We’re talking to lots of professionals.”
She added: “Our hope is that it grows. When I see other baby banks, I think that’s the dream.
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"We support The Sun’s campaign to highlight the great work that baby banks do across the UK.
"We’re here to raise awareness of some of the struggles that people are facing and to share how local community groups can step-in to help."