By Isabella McRae Big Issue Social Justice Reporter
Marisha was seven months pregnant when her relationship broke down. She was about to be a single, first-time mum and she was scared.
That was until her community midwife referred her to a local baby bank, which provides families with essentials like clothes, shoes, toys and baby equipment. They also empower parents, predominantly mums, with the support they need to thrive.
“I was heavily pregnant, so I got a home delivery,” Marisha, 32, says. “It felt like Christmas had come early. There were toys, books and a breastfeeding pillow. There were things I didn’t even know I needed as a first-time mum.”
There are more than 200 baby banks in the UK, all of which have seen rising demand in the cost of living crisis.
Little Village, which runs a baby bank network in London, receives a request for help every 45 seconds its referral form is open. The charity supported a record 5,815 families last year, including 8,529 children, but need outstripped their capacity.
Sophie Livingstone, chief executive of Little Village, says: “It makes me extremely angry that we live in the sixth richest country in the world and families are in this position. It doesn’t need to be that way. We need some anger in society and some recognition that we won’t stand for this.”
Marisha was a project manager for an IT company and she never imagined she would be in a situation where she would have to claim benefits – but since being supported by the Little Village baby bank in Tooting she no longer feels shame.
“I was apprehensive about what people might think, but everyone made me so comfortable,” she says. “Now it’s like a home away from home. I didn’t know what help was available but, once I had been in there, I felt OK to ask for help again.”
Marisha was signposted to local baby groups, benefits and the healthy start scheme, which helps mums on benefits buy essentials such as milk or fruit for young children. She was given a sling for her baby, without which she may not have managed the stairs to her flat.
She was recently made redundant, and will have to return to the baby bank. “I’ve been a bit blindsided,” she says. “Now that I’m solely on benefits, I’m not sure how we’re meant to survive.”
Even after benefits are increased in April, a single person on universal credit will be le
