Ask Me Anything: how baby banks work, who can use them and what to donate

[LibbyMumsnet]

Many families across the UK are struggling with the cost of essentials for babies and young children - from nappies and clothing to cots and bedding. That’s where baby banks step in, providing items free of charge to families who need them.

Over the next few weeks, we’re joined by Emilie de Bruijn from the Baby Bank Alliance, who’s here to answer your questions about how baby banks work, accessing support, volunteering, donations and more.

You might want to ask:

• Can anyone use a baby bank?
• Do you need a referral from a health visitor or other professional to receive support?
• What items are most useful to donate?
• What should you not donate?
• How can you find a baby bank near you?
• What happens to donated items?
• What's the best way to support my local baby bank?

About Emilie
Emilie de Bruijn is the Senior Community Lead at the Baby Bank Alliance, where she leads the team supporting the Baby Bank Alliance’s network of 250+ member baby banks. With eight years of experience as a founder and CEO of a baby bank, she brings deep, first-hand understanding of the sector and the challenges members face.

Emilie and her team provide training, guidance, and practical support, helping baby banks strengthen their services and impact. They also coordinate the fair distribution of Gifts in Kind and other donated resources across the network.

Post your questions below and Emilie will answer as many as she can over the next few weeks.

@Bikenutz

The Baby Bank Alliance and it's founding partners campaign to both raise awareness of baby banks and also the hardships and poverty facing the famlies using baby banks. Last year we worked on the successful two-child limit campaign and we will continue to use our voice to support the needs of families.

Brilliant! Thank you I will do that.

That’s great, thank you 🙏🏼

It is likely you do already but if not, please do team up / data share with The Trussell Trust, Joseph Rowntree, Independent Food Aid Network and others to campaign for measures that target the root causes of poverty for young families.

The thought of babies going without food is so emotive for many of us. I feel that the voices / lived experience of the people you help need to be more prominent in that campaign.

Thank you again for what you do.

I wanted to give my baby stuff to a baby bank but the local one (affluent area) wasn’t accepting anything, and the next nearest (30 min drive away) accept a different type of item each week, meaning I would have needed to make multiple trips (it was also only open at a time I was working)

So not a question but a suggestion- if you could organise a central donation warehouse I’m sure it would help. Weathy town in the south east might have an oversupply of prams, cots, slings and other expensive items but I’m sure other places don’t.

@Bikenutz

Please rest assured we hold conversations with organisations such as the Trussell Trust and the End Child Poverty Coalition regularly so that we can share the work we are doing but also support with theirs. Poverty is not something any one of us can target alone, together we are stronger.

@Bikenutz

We are currently exploring ways of raising awareness of baby banks and the families who use them. We'd love to break the stigma of baby bank use. Thank you for your feedback, it's a fine line between protecting the vulnerable and using their voices in our campaigns and something we're keen to get right, so we can share some of the wonderful stories we've heard.

@MotherOfCrocodiles

You have hit the nail on the head of one of our aspirations but sadly warehouses are expensive, so it may be a while before you see this come to fruition. We would love central hubs around the UK where people could donate, but also as they'd allow baby banks to store surplus goods and share with each other.

I wonder if it could be more fundable if framed as a baby lending library of things rather than a baby bank warehouse?

Something that people of all incomes use, including those who want to reduce waste going to landfill as well as those who need the service due to low income. I was fortunate to have enough income when I had my children but I was still more than happy to borrow some things as they grow so fast and many things fall out of use very quickly.

This makes a LOT of sense.

We have a Free Uniform shop near us and it is great because it is for absolutely anyone who walks in. No need to be on benefits of any kind. Absolutely invaluable to all families who fall into that 'earn too much to get any benefits' but 'struggle to balance the books every month' band. BUT it also works in that people who don't want to be seen as "charity cases" can walk in and out with their heads held high as the shop is for everyone.

The same way that Children's Centres worked so well - because EVERYONE was able to access them, there was no stigma to doing so, and therefore people who could really benefit from the support got it without having to feel they were failing somehow before they could get help.

Tried to get help from one near.me and got completely ignored.

The difficulty with this is we also really need a warehouse, we need somewhere for the items to go to then be used by baby banks, but who is to say a lending library isn't also possible. A lot of baby banks across the UK welcome people to access their service to help with re-use as well as poverty, so watch this space. I think you may see more of this in the future.

@ChickenBananaBanana I'm sorry to hear this, please reach out to us at the Baby Bank Alliance if you are still needing support as this is something we may be able to help with.