Baby Basics Newark, based in Southwell Methodist Church, has expanded to cover the whole Kings Mill Hospital area, and changed their name to Baby Basics Newark and Ashfield
An initiative to help struggling mums and babies has gone from strength to strength — and has expanded its reach to help more families in need.
Last year, Jennifer Winnington launched Baby Basics, which offers struggling new parents a Moses basket filled with the essentials needed for a mum and newborn.
Known as Baby Basics Newark, the branch helps families served by the maternity team King’s Mill Hospital in Mansfield, with mums being referred through their midwives who will contact Jennifer and the team directly so that the family does not feel a “sense of charity”.
The baskets provided by Baby Basics Newark include nappies, outfits, cardigans, and baby grows — as well as a range of essentials for the mum as well including toiletries, a hair brush, breast pads, maternity towels, a book and toy for the baby and more.
Among those who can access help from Baby Basics include families or mums living in poverty or struggling financially, those in refuge fleeing domestic abuse, the homeless and pregnant mums serving time in prison.
A recent story from our sister titles at LincsOnline showed that baby banks across Greater Lincolnshire are seeing a rise in families seeking support as the cost of living crisis continues to squeeze household budgets.
New figures from the Baby Bank Alliance’s 2023 and 2024 annual members’ survey show that 220,000 families across the UK were supported by baby banks in 2024, up from 163,000 in 2023.
More than 3.5 million essential items were distributed in 2024 — including nappies, clothes and cots — marking a 143% increase on the previous year.
Baby Basics Newark officially launched in October 2024 at its base in Southwell Methodist Church, and since then the charity has gone from strength to strength — expanding to cover the whole Kings Mill Hospital area, and changed their name to Baby Basics Newark and Ashfield to reflect this.
Jennifer said: “I continue to be blown away with the support that we are receiving, and have just had our 49th referral.”
She added that the team have also been recognised for their hard work by receiving a Community Diamond Award in recognition of the work they do to help those in need in the community. “What a surprise to receive the recognition,” she added.
There is always a need for size 14 in and 16in cardigans---but no 'holey' patterns
We are totally concentrating on providing the Moses basket and changing bag filled with everything for mum to go into hospital, and for baby from birth to 3 months.
Unfortunately we cannot store or hand on clothing larger than 3 months, or larger pieces of baby equipment.
The group is now appealing for anyone who can provide new, or clean preloved items for their baskets to come forward, with items needed the most including newborn baby clothes and knitted blankets, hats, or cardigans of 14 or 16inches in size.
These must not be made from patterns with holes in, this is a requirement of Baby Basics UK, so that babies can't get their fingers tangled in the fabric.
Donations of items can now be dropped off at the Methodist Church on Barnbygate in Newark on Tuesdays from 11am to 2pm, as well as between 9am to 11am on Wednesdays at Southwell’s Methodist Church.
Jennifer said that she would be happy to speak to any group who would like to hear more about the work that Baby Basics Newark and Ashfield do.
