Many thanks for thinking of Baby Bank Norfolk for your pre-loved baby items
We always have a magnificent response to our pleas for donations of baby clothes and items. We are so grateful – donations help us help more families in need. Sometimes we require specific items. Please keep checking our news pages to see what we need. Also, by following us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram you’ll be the first to hear our shout outs for various items that we particularly need.
The notes below are to let you know the items we can and can’t accept, and what condition they need to be in for us to use them in our ‘essential items’ donation bundles.
You can also download and print off the donations guidance here: Donations guidance September 2018-2
We’d love to take these things:
- Clothes, washed and in good condition, for babies ages from birth (including early babies) to 18 months
- Socks (to 18 months)
- Maternity clothes
- Muslin
- Pram shoes / slippers (not intended for walking)
- Toys suitable for children up to 18 months (e.g. soft toys, stacking and building toys)
- Bottles for milk (new or used, as long as in good working order, and not stained or damaged)
- Bottle teats (new only)
- Nappies:
- Sealed or open / part-used packs
- Nappies without packaging as long as are clean and have been looked after
- Moses baskets (no mattresses please, unless unused)
- Moses basket stands
- Bedding for Moses baskets, cots and cot beds (sheets, blankets, swaddle blankets)
- Baby sleeping bags
- Baby baths
- Bath support seats
- Cold water sterilisers
- Sterilising liquid / tablets
- Toiletries for babies (new / unopened only)
- Baby: bath wash, sponges, nappy cream
- Breast pads and maternity pads
Sorry, we can’t take the following things:
- Clothes mentioning family members, e.g. ‘Dad’, ‘Grandma’, ‘I’m a big brother’
- Clothes with stains, marks or damage
- Seasonal items, e.g. Christmas jumpers
- ‘Party’ clothes
- Shoes for walking children that would need fitting
- Battery operated items
- Electrical items
- Toys with small parts
- Used bottle teats
- Breast pumps
- Milk storage bags
- Re-usable nappies
- Towels
- Books with missing pages, chewed or scribbled on
- Cots and cot beds / cot bed bumpers
- Car seats
- High chairs
- Bouncy chairs
- Duvets and duvet covers
- Curtains and cushions
- Interior decoration items
- Pushchairs and prams
- Changing bags
- Slings
- Microwave sterilisers
- Electric sterilisers
- Talcum powder
- Baby oil
Condition of items
It is ideal if items have been washed recently when they come in to Baby Bank Norfolk, (including when they have been in storage for some time and have got a bit musty!). If items are still stained after washing, we would sometimes have to make the decision not to use them, so that the bundles look inviting and well-presented, rather than tired and ready to be thrown out. We also don’t use anything that is ripped or has holes, is otherwise damaged, or has non-working zips or missing buttons, etc. Baby Bank Norfolk prides itself on passing on items in great condition. We want the families who receive items from us to feel like they are receiving a gift and not a handout.
Getting donations to us
Due to the current situation, our usual donation stations are understandably not accepting donations of baby items for us.
You can drop donations to us directly, although the times for this are very limited (usually one evening a week), so please double check with us via direct message on our Facebook page to arrange this.
What happens to the items that you donate?
All donated items on the list above will be included in packs that are requested by referrers and will be distributed to people in need in the county. Thank you!
We will attempt to make best use of items that are left for us at any of the donation stations that we can’t use (i.e. things not on the ‘green’ list above or in a condition that is too bad for them to be used), which may involve:
- Donating items to other charities / not for profit agencies which can use slightly different items to us (e.g. People from Abroad team, refuges)
- Selling some items that are inappropriate for donation and using the income to buy items that have to be given new (bottle teats, mattresses, nappies etc)
- Donating to charity shops where we can’t do either of the above
- Giving items for rags, recycling them or, in the worst case, throwing items away where there is nothing we can do to reuse or recycle them.
Obviously doing this takes time away from doing what we have been set up to do, ie providing families with bundles of items they need, so please do only donate the things we can accept.
It is also extremely helpful if items can be given in bags or boxes that are sorted into gender and age, as it saves us a lot of time. If you don’t have the chance to do this though, please don’t let it put you off donating – we will do it!
Our storage facility
Our donation storage facility is located at Greenfields Community Centre on Ives Road in Norwich. We have very limited space and have had to be (very) inventive and organised to enable us to store all the items we have been generously given. This facility is not manned during the day as we are all volunteers, so we ask that if you do wish to donate any items, you please contact the team to check that we can take your donations and arrange for someone to meet you at the Community Centre. You can do this via our Contact page or by sending us a direct message on Facebook. Please also donate to our donation stations as detailed above.
We will post details of future donation events on this website and also on our social media pages. Current stock levels of clothes are currently very good so it may be a few months before we ask for more.
Donation Drop Off at our Greenfields storage facility on 21st January 2017
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