Baby Aid Birmingham was born in March 2020. With over a million residents, Birmingham is a young, diverse, and celebrated city. But it also has one of the highest rates of child poverty in the country. With existing deprivation affecting many people in Birmingham already, and existing pressure on local food banks, the Covid-19 pandemic made things increasingly difficult for parents to provide for their young children. Sensing a spike in child poverty, we set about creating a baby bank to fill this gap before the problem grew any further. Whilst the creation of Baby Aid Birmingham was prompted by the novel coronavirus pandemic, the need to support families with young children on a low income or in crisis existed before Covid-19 and will sadly continue after.

From its first few weeks operating out of a house and reliant solely on individual donations, Baby Aid Birmingham has grown month on month. Since March, we have helped an average of 250 families a month: providing them with emergency supplies for their children. These packs usually include nappies, baby food and toiletries, which have become unaffordable to families due to the impact of Covid-19. Our project ameliorates the living conditions and health of children, by protecting the financial security of families, and lessening anxiety for those in crisis. By providing these families with dignity and stability, we help better their mental health, allowing them to focus more on other aspects of home life, rather than constantly worrying about survival.