MUM Laura Iredale is almost overcome with emotion as she folds away onesies her baby daughter has outgrown.
But these precious items are not being shoved into the back of a chest of drawers or stored in the loft.
Laura is lovingly preparing the bundle to donate to her local baby bank to keep another child warm this winter.
The 38-year-old, mum to three-month-old Sadie*, says: “Babies outgrow clothes so fast. Some of the outfits I’m donating, Sadie’s only worn a handful of times.
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“It’s lovely to know another baby will get some wear out of them. That means a lot to me.”
Laura, an NHS IT worker from Buxton, Derbys, is supporting our campaign Cosy At Christmas, launched in partnership with Save The Children, baby bank group Little Village and more than 200 other baby banks nationwide.
‘Such a welcoming and friendly place’
We are asking YOU to donate money or new and good-quality pre-loved warm clothing — such as coats, jumpers and nightwear — to baby banks.
Baby banks provide essentials including nappies, clothes, toys and prams to families in need with kids aged up to five.
Laura read about our campaign online, and after learning that 46 per cent of mums will find it hard to buy adequate winter clothing for their young children, she felt compelled to help.
She says: “I know so many parents are struggling right now and the thought that some have nothing when their babies are born is devastating.
"It is really expensive having a baby, you do need a lot of stuff. And in the current climate with the cost of living, it is so hard.
“I’d heard about baby banks but until I read about the campaign, I didn’t know there was one so close by to me.”
Laura had always wanted to be a mum but, like many, her road to motherhood was a difficult and often painful one.
She says: “I couldn’t wait to be a mum, but I had three miscarriages before I had Sadie.
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“Each time I got further and further along. It was really tough. I managed to get pregnant four times in one year.
“I could get pregnant, I just couldn’t keep them and they never really got to the bottom of why.”
But fortunately it was fourth time lucky for Laura, who had Sadie by caesarean section in August.
She adds: “It makes her all the more special. I sometimes look at her and think, ‘I can’t believe you’re here’.”
Before Sadie was born, Laura and her husband were given lots of essentials by friends and family, and they also picked up some key items second-hand.
She says: “We got a lot of gifts, everyone was so generous. Prior to her being born, we got the main things ourselves second-hand, including the pram.
“Friends who aren’t having any more children gave us their old sleeping bags and sleepsuits. We were really overwhelmed with the stuff people wanted to give us. I know not everyone is as fortunate.”
In the hope of helping another mum, Laura packed up the items that no longer fit Sadie, including an adorable floral onesie from Tu at Sainsbury’s, to which she attached a handwritten Christmas card reading: “I hope these pyjamas keep you warm this Christmas.”
Laura strapped Sadie and her donations into the back of her car and made the short drive to High Peak baby bank in Buxton, where founder Kirsty Jackson greeted them.
The baby bank is in the back of a church hall and has a cosy sofa space upstairs where parents can feed their babies and have a cup of tea.
Laura says: “The baby bank is such a welcoming and friendly place. I was only dropping off items but when Sadie started to grumble, I was invited upstairs so I could sit down and feed her before heading home.
"Now I know it’s here and so close by, I will be coming again with more drop-offs.
“I’d encourage others to do the same, it’s so easy.”
Kirsty started High Peak baby bank when she had her son Rufus, now three.
The 31-year-old former chef says: “When my son was born, all of the clothing shops were closed due to the pandemic.
“I only had my daughter Willow’s clothes, so I started swapping them via Facebook Marketplace for clothes for Rufus.
“There was such a massive demand, I knew I had to do something. I came across the concept of baby banks and decided to create one.
“Since then, we have opened three extra branches. It’s a huge community resource and really brings people together.”
She adds: “We’ve probably doubled our amount of service users coming to us on a weekly basis since July. Since the summer we’ve helped around 280 families.
“A huge variety of people use our services and we have seen an increase in working families coming to us for help.
“There’s a lot of poverty in High Peak. It might seem like an affluent area, but there are pockets within it that are seriously deprived.”
A few days later, Victoria Clark* arrived at the baby bank with three-week-old Olivia* who was in need of some onesies.
Mum-of-two Victoria, 28, and her husband both work at a care home, and despite their combined salaries, they have to rely on the baby bank for essentials.
She says: “With the money we earn, it goes straight on paying for accommodation, bills and food.
“Sometimes before I had the baby, I’d think, ‘How will I afford this?’.”
Victoria adds: “A friend of mine had a baby about four or five months ago and she mentioned the baby bank.
"I sent a message to their Facebook page saying I needed help. I thought it would be one or two things, but they gave me everything we needed.
“I got a pram, some babygrows and things like Pampers. It helped a lot because I didn’t have much at all for her.”
Victoria and her family have lived in the area for a year after moving to the UK from South Africa for work. She has been overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of the community.
Sitting on the comfy sofas with Kirsty, Victoria looked through the bundle donated by Laura and saw the Christmas card.
Clearly moved, she says: “It is so nice to know mothers are looking out for one another.”
Sadie’s floral onesie fits little Olivia perfectly and Victoria is already thinking about how she can give back.
She says: “I have washed everything she doesn’t fit into any more and will iron them and give them back so someone else’s baby can have them. It’s not a bad thing to receive used items for your child.
"It’s so good to reuse what we no longer need.
“It goes a long way, especially when you don’t have much. You really want your child to have everything.
“Getting the support from the baby bank has helped so much. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help.”
As baby banks are seeing a rise in demand for their services, they need support from the community to keep running.
Kirsty says: “I’d encourage people to donate where possible, whether that be items or clothing, or money, but also time.
“Baby banks really struggle to get volunteers and the support we need.
"Even if it’s a couple of hours a week where you’re happy to wash some clothes, or if you’re able to come in a couple of days a week, we’d really appreciate the help.
“That box of babygrows you’ve got in the attic in case you have another one or want to keep for the memories could so easily go to help another family with a child to keep them warm this winter.”
*Names have been changed
