Ten Little Toes Baby Bank

Ten Little Toes is a baby bank based in West Sussex, offering support to families and parents in crisis or facing difficult circumstances. Founded in 2017, Ten Little Toes are a small volunteer team who now support over 500 families each year with new and preloved baby and child essentials.

www.tenlittletoesbabybank.org Fundraise for us

thehub@tenlittletoesbabybank.org

07543334849

Registered charity no. 118423

Member since February 2023

Latest News

Getting Graco on board

It’s amazing when we get the support of businesses in a really tangible way.

Last month, Graco Uk sent us a huge gift of buggies and highchairs - most of which have already found their way to new homes across Sussex. It’s amazing to give the families who need it the most this incredible gift.

About us

Who we are Ten Little Toes has been running as a voluntary organisation for over two years. We became a registered charity, number 1184233, in 2019. We’re based in Cowfold, West Sussex, and take referrals (self-referral and via health and social workers) from all over Sussex and sometimes beyond. We have a small network of drop-off points for people donating items, and a team of volunteers who do their best to serve as many families as we can possibly manage. Ten Little Toes was born out of love, set up by a family who know only too well how hard it can be to get by with a house full of small children. With their own four children now young adults, they turned their attention to helping their local community and began running Ten Little Toes from their home. Now a team of trustees and a small pool of volunteers, the baby bank is still taking over their house, but with dreams of a permanent home. No matter where we work from, Ten Little Toes is always full of love for those we work with.

The demand for our services is constant and ever-growing, and we see more and more what a lifeline our donations can be for families - those facing financial hardship, temporary homelessness, relationship breakdown, domestic violence, health issues - and the emotional hardship associated with all of these things. Often we are called upon to provide emergency relief to families who are displaced for any of the above reasons, and we respond as quickly as we can. We are constantly amazed at the response from the local community, who never let us down. When we ask, you provide. We are proud to be in a local community who care about their neighbours - and those they don’t know, too.

What we do Baby Banks, like foodbanks, help people get through a tough period by providing some relief, at least in one area of their lives. Knowing their children have clothes, nappies and a bed of their own to sleep in, can make an immediate difference to someone who has lost their income. Safety latches, highchairs and stairgates can enable a parent to create a child-safe environment in their temporary housing. Providing double buggies, car seats and carry cots can help people get out and about with their kids, doing the school run or going to baby groups. Research shows that in 2019 alone, more than 35,000 families have used baby banks to obtain vital items such as bottles, clothes, cots, nappies, wipes, prams and pushchairs. Comparable to food banks, baby banks give away basic baby items – largely donated by members of the public – that are crucial to people in need. But the people using baby banks are not only families living in poverty or those on benefits. Our clients are those escaping domestic violence, refugees, families affected by the cost of living crisis and even working parents who can’t earn enough to cover rent, food and utilities on top of the necessities required to bring up a baby. We are providing support to the very most vulnerable in our community, the children. They deserve our support to begin their lives with hope and the opportunity to break cycles of poverty by providing them with access to clean clothes, a safe place to sleep and the chance to begin their school lives in appropriate clothing.