Demand for baby bank growing faster than donations

Demand for baby bank growing faster than donationsImage source, Bedford BabyBankImage caption, Bedford BabyBank collects clothing, school uniform, towels and blanketsByAlex PopeBedfordshire, Hertfordshire and BuckinghamshirePublishedJust nowA charity that helps families in Bedford said demand was growing "faster than donations". When Faces BabyBank started in January 2023, it was helping about 1,100 families a year. In 2024, that number was about 1,200, but in 2025 it jumped to 2,098.The charity said it was "supporting more families than ever before as more and more people were struggling "with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis". Michaela Martindale, its chief executive, said many were "returning for help several times rather than requiring just one emergency referral". Image source, Bedford BabyBankImage caption, The charity asked for donations that were in good conditionThe charity said figures from the Baby Bank Alliance showed baby banks in the UK supported more than 400,000 children in 2025.In the same year, Faces BabyBank handed out 36,400 items of children's clothing, 54,080 nappies, 536 tubs of formula milk, 298 newborn starter packs and 3,768 books and toys. It has also given cots, Moses baskets, prams, highchairs, bedding, baby baths and other essentials. It said it relies on donations and always needs good quality goods or financial donations to purchase essential items when stock is unavailable.The charity said more parents in work were "still unable to afford essential items because wages are not keeping pace with household costs". Image source, Bedford BabyBankImage caption, The baby bank operates from the Bedford Foodbank warehouse on the town's Manton Industrial EstateMartindale said: "Every week we meet parents who are making impossible choices between paying the rent, heating their home or buying the essentials their baby needs. "The cost-of-living crisis hasn't gone away - it ha...