Annan charity Newstart Recycle has created a new baby and toddler support project.
The organisation’s new project mission is to provide dignity to parents and families and expanded its service provision to include a Baby and Toddler Unit.
The vision is to be able to provide essentials, pushchairs, cots, prams, Moses baskets, blankets, mattresses and possibly even baby food and toiletries, to children living in poverty or parent(s) suffering stress and anxiety by struggling to make ends meet.
A spokesperson said: “Every day we see the effects of children living in poverty. We are uniquely placed to make a huge difference to their current circumstances where this has been identified.
“Living in crisis and poverty is exhausting, so having just one bit of relief from that can make all the difference to their lives, to their futures, and especially to their mental health.Some people just need a hand up and not a hand out.”
Parents and families experiencing hardship — instead of having to pay for the things they need for their baby — can access essential items for free. Continuing an operating principal of “from one DG home to another”, the organisation will take donations of good-quality items for other families.
“The cost of living crisis is putting strain on so many desperate families in the UK right now, with many parents experiencing the effects of financial anxiety,” the spokesperson said. “It’s hard to know how to explain to kids why they can’t have things they are used to having and impossible to explain to a crying baby that you can’t afford to change their nappy yet. Shockingly, that is a reality for some families.”
The Baby and Toddler Project will support and work with Dumfries and Galloway Council in established community baby and toddler groups in Annandale and Eskdale to support families and help bridge the financial gap by providing essential baby items for free, so that parents don’t have to choose between heating their homes and buying new shoes for a child.
The spokesperson said: “All our local supporters and community already know that they are involved a really effective way to promote sustainable living. Donating used items not only helps families in need, but it also helps our planet, reducing waste by upcycling items that still have plenty of life left in them.
“We have been overwhelmed by the response in donations and demand. It is not without problems, but working in partnership with the Council and Wheatley Group, plus Caledonia Park, together we have already made a huge difference to many families. A family whose home was destroyed, no clothes, no beds or cots for their children, a young mother struggling with her extremely poorly child and young parents who could not afford a pram. Their emails and messages have made this Project mean a lot to our team.
“The response from our community is once again amazing. Thank you for your donations.”