About Bairnecessities
Bairnecessities was founded by local mum and nursery nurse, Helen Feeney. In a similar concept to a food bank, our aim is to tackle child poverty and promote re-use by donating baby essentials to families who are struggling.
We collect pre-loved items from local families and distribute them to those in need via a network of referral partners. Referral partners include health visitors, midwives and partner charities including homeless charities, domestic violence shelters and refugee organisations.
Early in 2017 we joined forces with Baby Bank Network in Bristol, England. Baby Bank has helped more than 2,000 families in the South West and in partnering with them, we’re following a similar model.
Bairnecessities, like Baby Bank Network, is 100% volunteer-run and relies on the generosity of families donating items, money and time to ensure local families can rely on this valuable service.
Our Aims, Vision, Mission and Values
- Relieve poverty in Aberdeenshire by providing good quality new and pre-owned baby items to families in need.
- Promote sustainable living by reducing the volume of items (clothes, toys, equipment, furniture) disposed of and upcycling goods that still have plenty of life left.
- Redistribute resources from where they are abundant to where they are lacking, reducing parental stress, anxiety and depression, in turn helping children.
- Improved living environments for babies and children
- Reduced financial burden for families
- Improvement in mental health for vulnerable people
- Ability to focus on other aspects of home life rather than financial burden
- We will source, service and provide pre-loved baby items to those in need.
- We will work closely with agencies (e.g. health visitors, children’s centres and health professionals), charities and organisations to help meet the needs of those struggling to afford baby items, whilst supporting agencies such as the cloth nappy library, in the work that they do.
- We will reimburse surplus funds into Bairnecessities, as a not-for-profit venture, to grow the organisation and help more families in need.
- We will be fair, efficient and transparent in the way we conduct business.
- We will use good environmental practice, endeavour not to waste materials and distribute all suitable donations.
- We will work with existing re-use and recycling projects to ensure best practice and minimal waste