Ten Little Toes Baby Bank, based in Cowfold, was set up in 2017 by JoJo, a local lady who recognised a need for support for local families facing hardship. Starting with a cardboard box behind the sofa, the idea was to provide wipes and nappies and perhaps a little more to those families who were finding themselves in a really difficult situation. Having experienced first-hand the struggles of raising a young family with very limited resources, JoJo just wanted to make a little difference to a few people – giving them hope and letting them know that there is always someone who cares.
Five years on and Ten Little Toes is now supporting over 500 families a year. Still run by a small volunteer team and from JoJo’s home, this is no mean feat. Families are referred to us from all walks of life by professional services across West Sussex, but they all have one thing in common: they are all facing a really challenging time providing for their families. What started out as a gift of nappies and wipes for a few, is now a service which support families in crisis with all their needs – whether it be prams, travel systems, a safe place to sleep, cots and Moses baskets with brand new mattresses, bedding, feeding equipment, clothes and much much more.
The difference this service makes to people is immeasurable. A pram for a young mum can allow her to get out and about to access services and the community, reducing isolation and loneliness. A bundle of clothes for rapidly growing children relieves the pressure for the family who are struggling to make their resources stretch. Nappies and wipes for the working family choosing between heating and eating. The family who have had to leave home with nothing to flee abuse and have nothing to wear, no toys for the children or hope in their hearts.
The bundles Ten Little Toes send out to these families is a gift of love, and of hope and encouragement. This is why we ensure that all the items we gift are immaculate. We rely on donations to make this service work and the community (you), are the most amazing part of what we do. Without you giving so generously and so considerately we simply couldn’t begin to meet the needs of those around us. We regularly ask for donations of excellent quality, prelovedbaby equipment and clothes for children up to the age of 12. We thoroughly check and re- check every item that goes out, and we are so incredibly grateful to all of you who gift us items which are ready to go and immaculate. There are always a few items we can only supply new, like mattresses, underwear, baby bottles and breastfeeding equipment, toiletries and hygiene items and we also welcome donations of these items. Without you as a community supporting what we do, it simply doesn’t work.
Of course what we do doesn’t stop here. We know that the need for the service we offer is continuing to grow and expand. We are currently very restricted by our space and are desperately looking for a new bigger premises to operate from. Bigger space will enable us to grow and support even more families in the community and begin branching out into other areas where support is badly needed. Our dream of opening a school uniform bank to support children’s access to education is only held back by the lack of space to store items. The space to increase the stock we hold means we can react quicker and meet the needs of more local families at an increasingly challenging time.
Amanda Lusted