Blaydon mum says baby box 'made massive difference' as charity works to fight child poverty
A North East charity's pioneering baby box initiative could be a key tool to reduce child poverty, it is hoped
by Sam Volpe · ChronicleLiveA North East charity has now delivered more than 1,000 of its baby boxes to expectant parents in the North East - and its boss believes the boxes are a key weapon in the battle to eradicate child poverty.
The Children's Foundation's baby boxes - the first in England - are delivered to families identified by their maternity teams across Northumberland, North Tyneside, Gateshead, Newcastle, South Tyneside and Sunderland. The project has been backed by local authorities in the area and cited as a valuable way of reducing child poverty.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness has called the scheme "a wonderful example". A new mum also explained how the box made a crucial difference to her life - and that of her little one - at a stressful time in the run-up to giving birth.
Children's Foundation chief executive Sean Soulsby told ChronicleLive: ""We are very proud of the charity and our progress. The initiative has gone far beyond all expectations and seems to have struck a chord. One of the most powerful pieces of feedback we have had recently was a mum who said how it was the first time she felt seen - that she felt valued.
"I think for so many of the people to receive these baby boxes, it is something that feels lovely for both them and their baby. They are quality and useful. The boxes have practical things that really make a difference to families. It helps to set a baby on the way to a better future."
The boxes are inspired by similar schemes in Finland and Scotland and part of a scheme launched by the Royal Victoria Infirmary-based charity the Children's Foundation. The Children's Foundation launched England's first "baby boxes" and a campaign called "Make a Million" in 2022 - it wants to raise £1m so that all first-time parents in the North East can receive a box.
Now 1,000 of the boxes have been delivered to families - at a time when child poverty in the North East continues to be at record levels.
One of those mums is Esther Barnes, 33. Esther's son Bowen Brown is now just over eight months old and she said: "It makes a massive difference. My heath visitor put me forward.
"It's a lovely, lovely ethos and idea - I received it about a month and a half before giving birth which is a really tough and stressful time. There are a lot of people throwing things at you. And this really felt that someone was actually thinking about us and cared about us."
Esther, who lives in Blaydon, said the box had made the first few weeks and months of motherhood more comfortable and spoke of how the versatile nature of the items in the box made it valuable "at every stage" of her little boy's development.
Both the mayor and the new Government have made dealing with the issue a priority and created organisations to focus on addressing the situation which has sees, in the North East, more than 118,000 youngsters growing up in poverty according to research from the End Child Poverty Coalition.
At the first meeting of the new Government's Child Poverty Task Force, Kim McGuinness said the issue was her "number one priority" and how she wanted the region to become a “national model and a national pilot for how we as a country approach child poverty”.
Sean said this was positive and that he hoped to see a Governmental commitment to support baby boxes nationwide. He explained that local authorities around the country had already recognised how much of a difference the boxes could make - with a number of London councils having even made orders.
He said the hope was for the initiative to continue a proud northern tradition and see the region help itself, too: "Child poverty has been a significant problem for the North East, not just recently, though we know how bad it now is. But I think we now have a real opportunity for change.
"It's an opportunity to address that and to eradicate it. To that end, the baby box is a lever - it supports both the baby's development but also has a real impact on families."
Speaking about the baby boxes, Ms McGuinness said: "I’m determined to make our region the home of real opportunity and last month, we agreed to establish a new Child Poverty Reduction Unit which will aim to combat the alarming levels of child poverty we see here in the North East.
"Vulnerable families need support and the Baby Box scheme is a wonderful example of practical initiatives that help families with newborns get off to a great start, with lots of essentials which promote bonding and early learning too. The box itself provides an emergency safe sleep space, but the contents provide so much more to ensure a healthy and stimulating environment for newborn babies at home. I hope the scheme helps parents enjoy the first days and weeks with their little one."
At the launch of the child poverty task force, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall MP said: "This government will not rest until we have driven down child poverty in every part of our country, using all the levers at our disposal. Local leaders are at the front line in tackling this issue, with bold ideas and new approaches.
"We are determined to learn from their experience about what works in delivering the changes our country needs. Together, we will confront the scar of child poverty and give every child the best start in life."
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