HELP AND RELIEF OF CHILD POVERTY THIS WINTER AND SPRING

Launched on the first day of summer in 2020, Southend and Rochford's dedicated baby bank has joined some 100 already set up across the UK.

Our new charity supports children in poverty aged 0-5 years including pregnant women, new parents and households living in poverty as well as key workers of providers assisting these groups.

We aim to help at least 500 families in our first year. Over a 1,000 in year 2 and by year 3 over 2,000 across a wider area.

We have hundreds of new items that we have supplied to parents, babies and children in need. Our thanks go to the many professionals using our services.

Our main activities will be supplying the essential items of equipment, clothing, toys for learning; other products of immediate use to mums, babies and children up to age 5, free of charge.

Over the winter and spring we are mounting a special campaign to supply hundreds of free bundles of new items and equipment for 0 to 5 year olds comprising:

• Expectant Mums
• Baby Essentials
• Clothes
• Health & Wellbeing 
• Education Learning

These will bring some sunshine into their lives and lift the gloom of the pandemic.

Click for more details on the Winter/Spring Bundles. 

We can only accept referrals from partner organisations with robust standards of safeguarding children and vulnerable people interfacing with and supporting families, babies and young children experiencing relative poverty. We have no direct contact with families or children nor do we hold their personal data.

Join us to help as many families as possible over the winter and spring months. Help us get to those in most need so together we can lift the stress and extra hardship caused by COVID-19. 

Working in partnership with you is crucial to help vulnerable people quickly and take the stress off your public and charity services and your key workers.

Please send us your details so we can understand your needs and arrange to receive your referrals .

 We are sorry but we cannot receive direct referrals.

We can’t take any recycled items at present due to COVID-19. So over the summer we will be supplying new purchased items. By the autumn, provided families, key workers and our volunteers can move-on safely you can donate some of your preloved items. 

They must be in excellent condition, hygienically clean and stain free. 

Your donations can be called-off by key workers and organisations to support families, babies and children on their caseloads. We hold stocks at our locations in Southend and Hockley, with additional stakeholder collection points.

Check our ‘Wanted’ list of recycled baby equipment – prams, cots, cribs, baby essentials, clothes, toys, learning materials etc.

LINK to Stock - Equipment and Items

LINK to ‘Wanted please / priority list

You can donate money, no matter how small, as a one-off or on a regular basis.

Here are some ways you can donate money: 

Gift Aid via Charities Aid Foundation

Regular giving e.g. via Localgiving, 

Payroll giving

Gift voucher bundles £10, £20, £30 

Shopping & giving - Amazon Smile

Cheques, currency 

Companies – Using our Deed of Gift

You might be able to help with fundraising. Here are some activities, ideas and events:

Sponsored fun runs and events

Cake sales, party chef

Dinners & dance

Auction, raffles

Crowdfunding

With your kindness and generosity it will make a huge difference to babies, children and families living in relative poverty. Give now - Links to donate 

Why not volunteer? You can help with taking orders, purchasing, sourcing, recycling, warehouse, packaging, distribution and fundraising. All volunteers will be checked under the Disclosure and Debarring Service (DBS) before we can consider your application to help.

Click here to apply as a volunteer

In June 2019, parts of Rochford and Southend had 34% of children living in relative poverty, the 4th highest rate in the East of England. Over a year later, the impact of COVID-19 has substantially increased, if not more than doubled, the number of working families and those on benefits living in relative property.

Action, help and support is needed NOW. Please help us make a difference to the lives of young children in our area. Click here for joining our mailing list to stay in touch.

Pregnancy is the privilege of experiencing the miracle of life; your own creation. We believe every expectant mum should have the vital items needed, all packed in your home or hospital birth bag. A baby- grow, nappies, wipes, pads and shower gel all in a bundle ready to go. 

Our bundles of essentials for your baby or little ones are waiting for you. Packed with baby-grows, vests, nappies, wipes, bibs etc. 

These will help you in those early days when your baby and infant just keeps growing and growing; through 3, 9, 12 and 18 months all the way up to 2 years. 

When you need help with dressing your little one, we can provide those items such as a new outfit to make them feel and look special, for example, pants, undies, socks and a new dress or a pair of dungarees. 

These are waiting for you to make you and your little ones feel special. 

We recognise that good health and robust emotional wellbeing are important for mother and child alike. 

By providing the following items we ensure basic needs are met: formula milk, nappy cream etc. Alongside we aim to support wellbeing through the provision of self-care items for mothers such as relaxing bath salts and hand cream. 

The early years are crucial for learning, knowledge acquisition and development. We can provide the learning and education supplies to support your child including – crayons and drawing materials,  reading books, educational games  up to pre-school age.