Coronavirus leaves Sheffield baby supplies charity 'desperate' for help

A Sheffield charity that provides baby supplies for poor and vulnerable parents in the city says it is ‘desperate’ for help.
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Baby Basics on Glossop Road say the coronavirus crisis has led to a massive spike in demand which they are struggling to cope with.

They say in a normal month they would get around 70 referrals - but have instead had 50 in just the last three days

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CEO, Kat Ross, is now appealing for people to help them cope with the huge surge they are seeing.

She said: “The people we help are the most vulnerable in the city.

“Most of them can’t afford things normally but they certainly can’t afford to drive round five different supermarkets to get what they need.

“And we think the demand is only going to increase as more people are forced to self-isolate and stay off work.”

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The charity helps women with babies who have escaped domestic violence, as well as women who have been trafficked to this country or have come here as refugees.

The team at Baby Basics in Sheffield.The team at Baby Basics in Sheffield.
The team at Baby Basics in Sheffield.

They distribute the items to midwives and health visitors who have been referred to them for help, as well as to the Red Cross and Refugee Council.

The items they are currently most in need of are nappies (size 1-6), baby wipes, nappy cream, baby top to toe, adult shampoo, breast pads, cotton wool, baby towels, toothpaste, toothbrushes, newborn neutral clothing and newborn knitted cardigans.

People can leave donations at their Glossop Road base between the hours of 9am and 4pm from Monday to Thursday, but they also operate a collection service as well.

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Kat said the charity runs on less than two full-time staff, but also gets help from around 25 volunteers.

However, with some volunteers having to self-isolate and others now looking after children during school hours, they are currently down to about 10.

“We would love some more volunteers,” said Kat.

“If people are symptom-free and not in a high-risk group please get in touch.”

To find out more or offer help, visit https://baby-basics.org.uk or call Kat on 0114 2787262 or 07977 137600.

They can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/babybasicssheffield.