Wollaston charity supports one in 16 babies across the county

Martin Heath & Annabel Amos

BBC News, Northamptonshire

A charity which helps families with vulnerable babies says it is now supporting one in 16 of the boys and girls born in its county.

Baby Basics, based in Wollaston, Northamptonshire, provides starter packs full of essential items including nappies and clothes.

It is holding its first sale of donated goods which cannot be handed out to raise money this weekend.

Its founder said she was “very worried” about a rise in referrals over the last two years.

Volunteers at Baby Basics fill Moses baskets with everything from toiletries to blankets, toothpaste and even some treats.

Sabrina Oakey, a co-founder of the charity, says knitted items are particularly important “because a lot of families who receive our packs may not have a Grandma or an Aunty or that family connection that can make those hand-made items”.

She is “very worried” about the number of families who need the service.

“In the last two years alone, we’ve seen a 51% increase which is a huge rise in our referrals.

“A lot of this is down to, we think, the rising cost of living, but also reduction of benefits for some families,” she said.

The charity has seen more families coming through who have both working parents but are still in need of essentials, she added.

It expects to support around 500 babies this year – about one in 16 of those born in the county.

Laura Holmes-Trevino, who looks after the charity’s fundraising, said it was very grateful for all the items donated by the general public.

But some of them cannot be used in the packs that get handed out.

“Quite often, they are items for older babies, sometimes they are items for safety reasons we can’t guarantee in the home of a newborn,” she said.

For the first time, Baby Basics is organising its very own boutique sale, so donated items can be turned into cash for the charity.

It takes place in The Gatherings in the upper mall of the Grosvenor Centre on Saturday morning.

The Department for Work and Pensions said that “£742m has been made available to county councils and unitary authorities in England to support vulnerable households with the cost of essentials through the Household Support Fund”.