Latest News
January 2025
Baby Bank - review of 2024
Our baby bank continued to be very busy this year, despite a short break when funding became difficult. Thankfully we were blessed with a kind and generous donation from a local family and that enabled us to reopen after only a month of closure. We thank them for their support.
Our regular followers may recall that in 2023 we saw a 44% rise in referrals - and it feels like 2024 might be the same (the elves are crunching the numbers and we will know shortly).
In 2024, thanks to the support of all the generous individuals across the city, we gave out:
40,923 nappies
1,024 packets of wipes
729 bundles of clothing (each of these consists of multiple sets of clothing)
256 tins of formula
46 buggies
55 Moses baskets
50 sterilisers
300 bottles
64 changing mats
65 baby baths
600 sets of baby toiletries (baby wash, sponges, cotton wool, nappy cream)
31 high chairs
We saw almost 400 clients - some of these come to us multiple times so that number is not reflective of how many times we might see one family. Some referrals were from far afield (Lincolnshire, London - moving to Birmingham), most were closer to home. The most common reasons for referral were low/no income, domestic abuse and homelessness. Where possible, we sat with clients and listened to their situations and challenges, offering help from the other services Karis provides when we could. We provided support to siblings where we could, and continue to care for many of these families.
Our work is only one very small part of a jigsaw of incredible services and staff who support families in the city. So we want to acknowledge with gratitude, all the people behind the scenes: city council staff, health visitors, nurses, midwives, doctors, social workers, support workers, charity staff, energy advisors and many more. Organisations, agencies and charities we work with include Spurgeons, Barnados, Citizens Advice, the NHS, Homestart, Birmingham Children's Trust, all the hospitals, foodbanks, Birmingham Settlement, Women's Aid, the Red Cross, Sandwell Advocacy, Crisis and Baobab, to name some.
And finally, thank you to all our supporters this year:
Individuals across the city - over 250 of you gave us donations this year without which baby bank could not function
We were provided with cash or gifts in kind from:
ArmacMartin
Joseph Frazier Trust
Richard Kilcuppes Trust
George Henry Collins Trust
George Fentham Trust
Hortons Social Purpose Committee
Property for Kids
CB & HH Taylor Trust
Lord Austin Trust
Albright Grimley Trust
Skipton Building Society
Warburtons Community Fund
Leeds Building Society
Martin Carter Associates
Hobson Charity
Lillie Johnson Charitable Trust
Arnold Clark Community Trust
Trusthouse Foundation
Saintbury Trust
Ambergate Trust
Joseph Hopkins Trust
Morrisons
Asda
Zurich Municipal
GlaxoSmithKline
ITV
We always welcome funding as baby bank is reliant on charitable support to function. The funding is used for salary costs and stock, in accordance with any specific restrictions that come with the funding. We work year round to fundraise for this and all of Karis's work, so if you are interested in helping, please do get in touch with us at babybank@karisneighbourscheme.org or admin@karisneighbourscheme.org.
Baby Bank - review of 2024
Our baby bank continued to be very busy this year, despite a short break when funding became difficult. Thankfully we were blessed with a kind and generous donation from a local family and that enabled us to reopen after only a month of closure. We thank them for their support.
Our regular followers may recall that in 2023 we saw a 44% rise in referrals - and it feels like 2024 might be the same (the elves are crunching the numbers and we will know shortly).
In 2024, thanks to the support of all the generous individuals across the city, we gave out:
40,923 nappies
1,024 packets of wipes
729 bundles of clothing (each of these consists of multiple sets of clothing)
256 tins of formula
46 buggies
55 Moses baskets
50 sterilisers
300 bottles
64 changing mats
65 baby baths
600 sets of baby toiletries (baby wash, sponges, cotton wool, nappy cream)
31 high chairs
We saw almost 400 clients - some of these come to us multiple times so that number is not reflective of how many times we might see one family. Some referrals were from far afield (Lincolnshire, London - moving to Birmingham), most were closer to home. The most common reasons for referral were low/no income, domestic abuse and homelessness. Where possible, we sat with clients and listened to their situations and challenges, offering help from the other services Karis provides when we could. We provided support to siblings where we could, and continue to care for many of these families.
Our work is only one very small part of a jigsaw of incredible services and staff who support families in the city. So we want to acknowledge with gratitude, all the people behind the scenes: city council staff, health visitors, nurses, midwives, doctors, social workers, support workers, charity staff, energy advisors and many more. Organisations, agencies and charities we work with include Spurgeons, Barnados, Citizens Advice, the NHS, Homestart, Birmingham Children's Trust, all the hospitals, foodbanks, Birmingham Settlement, Women's Aid, the Red Cross, Sandwell Advocacy, Crisis and Baobab, to name some.
And finally, thank you to all our supporters this year:
Individuals across the city - over 250 of you gave us donations this year without which baby bank could not function
We were provided with cash or gifts in kind from:
ArmacMartin
Joseph Frazier Trust
Richard Kilcuppes Trust
George Henry Collins Trust
George Fentham Trust
Hortons Social Purpose Committee
Property for Kids
CB & HH Taylor Trust
Lord Austin Trust
Albright Grimley Trust
Skipton Building Society
Warburtons Community Fund
Leeds Building Society
Martin Carter Associates
Hobson Charity
Lillie Johnson Charitable Trust
Arnold Clark Community Trust
Trusthouse Foundation
Saintbury Trust
Ambergate Trust
Joseph Hopkins Trust
Morrisons
Asda
Zurich Municipal
GlaxoSmithKline
ITV
We always welcome funding as baby bank is reliant on charitable support to function. The funding is used for salary costs and stock, in accordance with any specific restrictions that come with the funding. We work year round to fundraise for this and all of Karis's work, so if you are interested in helping, please do get in touch with us at babybank@karisneighbourscheme.org or admin@karisneighbourscheme.org.