Poverty doesn't take a break in the summer holidays – and baby banks don't either

When I founded Hartlepool Baby Bank, I thought I had a sense of the need in our town. But nothing prepared me for the sheer scale of it, or how fast that need would grow.

Two years ago, there were around 300 baby banks across the UK. Now there are more than 400. That rise isn’t because the concept is suddenly trendy. It’s because more and more families simply can’t afford the basics for their babies and toddlers. And places like mine are stepping in where the state no longer does.

Here in Hartlepool, we see it every day. Parents, some still in their teens, others juggling two jobs, come to us in crisis. They’re not asking for extras. They’re asking for nappies, wipes, baby grows, bottles, cots. I’ll never forget one mum who burst into tears just because we could give her a secondhand pram. She’d been carrying her baby everywhere in her arms.

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In the past year, we’ve seen a 35% increase in referrals. Not only are more families turning to us, but the items they need are bigger and more expensive. Cots. Stair gates. Buggies. Car seats. Essentials that used to be within reach now feel impossible for many.

And yet, despite everything baby banks across the UK are doing; over 3.5 million essential items were distributed just in 2024, most people still don’t know what a baby bank is.

I think summer is often painted as a rosy time, of picnics and sunshine, children running through long grass and scraping their knees. But for many children across the UK, summer is anything but joyful.

The summer holidays are particularly expensive. No school meals to fill growing children’s tummies. No classroom to occupy the hours. Parents suddenly need to provide extra food, endless snacks, and entertainment, as well as sun cream, sun hats, and summer clothes, while also bracing themselves for the looming cost of school uniforms in September.

This is where baby banks step in again, trying to meet the extra seasonal needs while still juggling the usual referrals from pregnant mums or parents with newborns who need prams or safe sleep spaces. And we’re doing this at a time when our volunteer numbers often drop. Many of our helpers are parents themselves, now needed at home with their own children.

At our baby bank, we see extra requests for things like play equipment, swimwear, sunscreen, items that should be a given for a child to enjoy a proper summer. But for families already barely getting by, these are out of reach. We’re busier than ever. Families come in with all their children in tow; toddlers, babies, and school-aged kids. They’re asking questions, they want to chat, they need to be seen and heard. Our space is small and often sweltering, but the conversations we have, those moments of listening and signposting, are vital. They’re sometimes the only real support families get.

It’s hard for our small team. We feel the guilt of missing summer with our own kids while spending it helping others. But if we don’t show up, these children miss out. As a mum of two, it hits me hard that so many children won’t experience even the simple joys my own kids take for granted.

And who supports us, the baby banks? Support varies hugely across the country. That’s why the Baby Bank Alliance matters. Their training, guidance, and national support network help ease some of the weight we carry. Through shared knowledge, Gift in Kind donations, and emotional support, we’re encouraged to look after ourselves and each other, to be mindful of burnout and to stay strong for the long haul.

Still, baby banks shouldn’t have to exist at this scale. We need a national approach. We need funding, infrastructure, awareness, and coordinated action, not just good intentions.

Child poverty in the UK isn’t always obvious. It hides in the everyday, behind quiet doorways and closed curtains. It’s the toddler without a summer hat, the teenager without period products, the newborn without a cot. But it’s real. And it’s getting worse.

I love what we do. I’m proud of our community, our volunteers, and our families. But I also wish our services weren’t essential. The fact is, we shouldn’t exist, but we do. No child should be held back by poverty, and no parent should feel shame in needing help.

All children deserve more than just getting by. They deserve the very best we can give.

Emilie De Bruijn is the founder of Hartlepool Baby Bank. Find out how to support or get support from baby banks at the Baby Bank Alliance.

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