Hartlepool Baby Bank is a small charity, which opened in 2019, run by local mums for local parents, who help families by providing nappies, clothing, equipment or support.
The bank’s chair Emilie de Bruijn says they now see about 150 families a week – a tenfold rise in those needing help since it opened.
She said: “Parents can’t find work that fits around children, childcare costs keep rising, people are just really struggling.
We have had 139 brand new families this year, and more than 2,000 repeat referrals, which are families who we have already helped. A few years ago they’d just be looking for shoes – now they need coats – they need clothes as well.”
Emilie is welcoming any donations to the baby bank, but cots, toiletries, nappies and maternity pads are particularly needed – “even opened packets”.
She added: “It’s one family to another, it’s a community supporting itself. So many people who come to us are working-poor, but they are stuck in this cycle they can’t get out of because of childcare costs, and that means demand for our help has never been higher.”
Government figures for 2024/25 show 27% of children in Hartlepool are living in absolute poverty, measured as a household income below 60% of the national average.
Hartlepool Baby Bank is based at the Crown Buildings, Avenue Road and can be contacted on 07717 337719 and [email protected]
Author: Ian
Reporter and author of Pop Life, covering all things news, music and local events.
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