DAME Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, has urged “the whole nation” to support Fabulous’ Baby, Bank On Us campaign. 

The 55-year-old former headteacher visited the Space 214 Baby Bank in Grenfell, North Kensington, for our appeal and spent the morning volunteering, sorting donations and singing nursery rhymes with excited tots. 

Rachel told us: "I really support Fabulous’ Baby, Bank On Us campaign. Just seeing the baby banks and what they're doing is amazing, I really want the whole nation to get behind this campaign.

"What's more important than our young parents and children, so let's go for it. I'm so excited to be here today, it's a really special place.”

She added: "We can't underestimate how difficult it's been with Covid and now cost of living issues so it's amazing when you get somewhere like this that can really help young families, and young mums, with those basic costs and things they need to look after their children."

Baby, Bank On Us, launched in partnership with Save The Children, Little Village and more than 200 baby banks around the UK in May. 

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The appeal is calling on the public to donate their time, money or supplies to their local bank. 

Space 214 Baby Bank started as a safe space to provide support after the devastating Grenfell fire tragedy which ripped apart the local community.

Founded by Samia Badani in 2018, Space 214 began as a place to meet for coffees and therapeutic craft sessions to bring people together.

But, when Covid-19 struck, staff sprung into action and delivered vital food packages to local residents in need.

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From there, their life-changing work has only grown, and the hub now transforms into a baby bank every Tuesday.

They see around 500 families per week – who are reliant on their services.

As workers and volunteers set up, they make an effort to lay out and hang up clothes in the same way you would expect to see in a shop.

They explained they don't want parents to feel as though they are being given a charity hand-out, and offer them a choice of different styles.

Parents book a session and let staff know whether they have a boy or girl, and a bundle is created for them with some different options.

In one corner a play area had been created for babies and toddlers to have some fun, while their mums looked through items.

A pair of toddlers, twin boys, were laughing as they crawled through a pop-up tunnel and played peek-a-boo with volunteers.

And, the fun was able to continue once they got home thanks to the baby bank, as they left with the same toys on their way out.

Research carried out by Little Village, a London-based network of banks, said 2022 was their busiest year yet – with the cost of living crisis voted the number one reason.

Channel 4's Born on the Breadline, also found that the number of baby banks operating has increased 10 fold in the past eight years.

And, they discovered 90 per cent of these banks reported their demand has increased in the past two years.

Rachel added: "This bank in Grenfell is led by the community, for the community and it's so much more than just getting some things – it's a social space, it helps with mums' mental health.

"I got such a shock when I came and found a GP here once a fortnight, that's an amazing service.

"But I think sometimes the most important thing is a friendly word, some support, sometimes it's someone who's worried about having a lot of growing young children and they come here to get some clothes and also give some back.

"But it's that friendship, and mental health support, it's hard being a young mum, especially when you're struggling with the cost of living crisis.

Just seeing the baby banks and seeing what they're doing is amazing, I really want the whole nation to get behind this campaign."

"I can see here today everyone feels at home, there's great groups of young women coming in with their kids, you can't tell who's donating, who's just coming in for a cup of tea to be social and supportive, or who is here to pick things up.

"It's a no stigma place. I think we need these all over the country, that's why I'm supporting The Sun's Fabulous’ work on this, and Save The Children's work.

"We all need to get behind this, and I am so proud to be here today, everyone should be looking for their local baby bank and donate as well as just drop in."

Space 214 offers baby essentials including clothing, nappies and creams.

It's a no stigma place. I think we need these all over the country, that's why I'm supporting The Sun's Fabulous Magazines' work on this, and Save The Children's work."

They also cater for new mothers, offering breast pads, sanitary products and more clothing.

The amazing work they do is also shown by their food bank that frequently helps families in need.

This comes as Trussell Trust food bank statistics showed between April and March 2022, food banks in the trust's UK wide network handed out over 2.1 million emergency food parcels.

This figure is a 14 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2019 and 2020.

Out of the 2.1 million crisis parcels, 832,000 went to children.

LEILA AND LUNA

Leila, 39, visited the 214 Space Baby Bank with her adorable three-year-old Luna.

The mum and daughter duo were there to donate pre-loved items to the service that had saved them before.

"We stared coming during Covid, they helped us a lot with clothes, food, just anything we needed," said Leila.

"My partner and I were unemployed, they support us a lot, they gave us ideas to help in general with money.

"I love giving back, there's people I know from my block and my neighbourhood."

AMINA AND ZAYD

Another mum who arrived with a smile on her face when greeted by familiar volunteers was Amina.

Originally from Algeria, she arrived in tow with her two-year-old son Zayd.

When asked about how Space 214 has helped her and her family, she told The Sun: "It is 10 out of 10, it has helped me physically, mentally, everything but especially in the beginning.

"I have four children, and I was moved into a hotel because of floods, I was in one room, so when the bigger kids went to school I would come here with the little ones and just to get out I would volunteer."

ANIKO

Aniko, 40, a struggling mum of three, came to the baby bank with her six-month old son.

She has two other children aged 10 and four who were at school while Aniko grabbed half an hour for herself.

Aniko explained Space 214 also offers therapeutic sessions such as yoga and acupuncture to help ease the burden for a short while.

The single mum reflected on the work Space 214 has done for her kids and said: "It has been a huge help and support, knowing that something is there if we are in an emergency, it's a type of community.

"I was one of the first residents who started coming regularly for help and advice in 2020 when the baby bank started.

There will always be someone to talk to which is the most important thing if you don't have family."

"They have kept the community together through lockdown, they had lots of emergency support food parcels too.

"They make the children feel important, they do therapeutic sessions for the kids and for the parents. There will always be someone to talk to which is the most important thing if you don't have family.

"I don't have other family here, but when we come here we feel like family.

"The cost of living has made us more reliant on the baby bank, most of the time, it's just getting worse, it's wearing us down more than before.

"Without this I'm not sure how I would survive. At the moment it just looks like it's getting worse.

"There's definitely a stigma around feeling like you need to go out and ask for help, you can feel shame but all I can say is get rid of that feeling because once you receive that help you will feel better.

"We need donations and awareness, perhaps from professionals who want to offer help to the community."

TERRIFYING STATISTICS

The total number of referrals to baby banks has increased by over 500 per cent in the past five years.

And the average number of referrals to each bank has doubled since 2014, according to Channel 4's Born on the Breadline research.

New analysis from the Resolution Foundation think tank found nearly a quarter (23%) of adults who responded to its survey – equivalent to 12 million people around the country – said they could not afford to replace or repair their fridges, washing machines or other big electrical goods.

Before the pandemic only eight per cent said the same.

The researchers also found 11% say that at some point over the last month they went hungry because they did not have enough money.

Before the pandemic five per cent said they went hungry for lack of money.

DONATIONS NEEDED

We are urging readers to give money, supplies, or their time to the hundreds of baby banks that provide essentials for young children whose parents cannot make ends meet. 

For a full list of UK baby banks, read here.

Below is a selection of baby banks by region. Find the address of your local baby bank at: littlevillagehq.org/uk-baby-banks. 

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Contact your local bank to find out how to volunteer and to see what donation items they’re in need of. 

If your baby bank is missing from this list, please contact [email protected]. 

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