Sarah Beckingham from SMC, Sprotbrough Methodist Church explains why Baby Basics is a great charity for the church and community to support.
For some time, Sprotbrough Methodist Church had supported food banks, Link to Hope and the Hygiene Bank and was keen to explore how we could further serve others in our local community and live out our calling.
Baby Basics was established in Sheffield in 2009 to support vulnerable families in the community. Since those early beginnings Baby Basics has grown into a network of centres across the UK, and we are delighted to be one of them.
SMC had the pleasure of opening Baby Basics Doncaster in the early spring of 2021, but the planning started in 2020. It turns out there was a silver lining to lockdown. It provided space – physical and mental. The space to get my head round how I might grow the seed of possibility I'd considered in previous years, but due to ongoing work and the busyness life had put on the back burner. And space in an empty church to start gathering donations, finding under used space, and creating storage. Thanks to initial funding from Doncaster Circuit, we were able to get the centre up and running. We continue to be supported by Doncaster Circuit as well as external funders and individual donors who give both items and finances.
We are still a small centre compared to many of the network's centres, but we are continually in demand and strive to provide all we can for all vulnerable new-borns in Doncaster.
We work with professionals from a range of agencies across the city, such as community midwives, family hubs, mental health support workers, schools, charities, Refugee Integration, Housing associations and health visitors. As we approach the end of 2024, we have already exceeded the amount of referrals completed in 2023.
We are also part of the South Yorkshire Mayors Beds for Babies: Safe Space to Sleep Programme which guarantees a safe place to sleep for all 0-5year olds. Beds for Babies will provide a moses basket, cot, cot bed or toddler bed to any under 5 needs it.
South Yorkshire sees some of the starkest health inequalities in the UK, with 1 in 9 newborns in Sheffield alone requiring a safe space to sleep last year.
Baby Basics Doncaster will be the delivery partner for this initiative and working with Baby Basics UK we will provide these items to families across the Doncaster region. Although we wish it weren't the case that this service was needed, we are excited that we are part of this initiative, and we get to ensure all under 5's have somewhere safe to sleep.
By providing Moses basket starter packs, prams, and cots we can give families some security in the early months of life with a newborn. It won't solve the financial difficulties some families face, or the uncertainty that a new teenage mum might experience, or the isolation of a refugee finding their place in our community. But we know that we are relieving the burden, giving hope, and expressing the Methodist way of life by caring for those around us, serving our community and challenging injustice.
Donations are always welcomed, find out more by following Baby Basic's Doncaster on facebook or visit www.baby-basics.org.uk
Registered Charity no. 1129363
admin@sheffieldmethodist.org
0114 270 9990 / 0114 430 0255
Sheffield District Office
Room 47, Victoria Hall Methodist Church
Norfolk Street
Sheffield
S1 2JB