I am immensely proud and overwhelmed with what three core people and a handful of volunteers have managed to do to impact families for the better in Coventry and Warwickshire. 12 months ago, I was a Mum of six-month-old little boy (and a three-year-old), on maternity leave from my full-time job wanting to fill a needs gap that I was only vaguely aware existed. I had no idea of the extent of the problem or the positive impact this Baby Bank was going to make.
Although it started slowly, Baby Godiva has grown rapidly in reputation and service over the last 12 months. We have developed processes on the fly, grown out of our storage space three times and caused my Mum to get a bigger house so she could have a spare room large enough for me to set up a stock room! Thrust into the spotlight a bit with TV and Radio interviews, articles in the local newspaper and an extremely far reaching Facebook page, it can be a bit daunting at times. But I am looking forward to the next 12 months, who knows how many babies we will provide for and how many families we will relieve a little bit of stress for.
Just look at what we have achieved together, yes I do say “we”, I could not do this without the fantastic generosity of my Facebook and Instagram followers:
- 48 Mums-to-be who had nothing for their baby, for whatever reason, have been supplied with everything they need to feed, clothe, bathe and entertain their baby whilst transporting the little one in a safety checked travel system and the knowledge that baby has a safe and warm place to sleep.
- 32 Babies have a safety checked Cot to sleep in, with blankets and sleeping bags provided.
- 114 Babies have a kit of clean clothes to wear in the right size for them.
Not to mention all the consumables of milk, wipes, nappies and toiletries we have given out to ensure baby in fed and clean. I can’t wait to see what we do with the next 12 months!
Belle x
BABY GODIVA 