Kind strangers gave my son a bed because I couldn’t afford to buy one – I’m a working single mum, it’s embarrassing
When single mum Lucy Kurkowska’s toddler began to outgrow the travel cot he was sleeping in, she knew she wouldn’t be able to afford a replacement.
Working part-time and receiving Universal Credit, the 35-year-old sometimes doesn’t have enough money left at the end of the month to pay her bills and put food on the table for her and Jacob, two.
Her electricity bill alone is now £700 per month during the colder months, and she doesn’t have a TV as she can’t afford the licence fee.
Thankfully, Lucy, from Perth, Scotland, knew there was support she could turn to - the Buttons & Bows Baby Bank, which helps parents with free baby essentials.
Lucy says: “I felt embarrassed about using a baby bank at first. I’ve always worked, I was self-sufficient. I’d never been on the benefits system before I became pregnant.
“Jacob is tall and sturdy and was sleeping in a travel cot, as this worked better for him. When he started to outgrow it over winter, I began to look around for a toddler bed for him, which would have cost around £200 including mattress and bedding. But there was no way I would have afforded it; I just don’t have that amount of money.
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“But thanks to the kindness of strangers, I was able to make sure my baby could sleep safely, while still just about affording to heat our home.
The whole situation is heartbreaking especially as I try to do everything right - by working and volunteering
Lucy Kurkowska
“The whole situation is heartbreaking especially as I try to do everything right - by working and volunteering. But I’m still struggling. It’s shocking.”
It comes as exclusive research of 2,000 mums for Fabulous’ Baby, Bank On Us, campaign, in partnership with Save The Children and Little Village in support of UK baby banks, found that 3% say their children don’t have a safe place to sleep. 15% of mums admit to visiting a baby bank.
How YOU can support Fabulous' Baby, Bank On Us campaign
- Give clothing, toys and essentials to a baby bank, wherever you are in the UK.
- Give your time volunteering. To find your nearest baby bank, visit .
Lucy discovered Buttons & Bows by chance when she was pregnant in 2021. Conscious that her financial situation was going to change due to becoming a single mum, she would visit them to stock up on essentials.
Since then, she has visited the baby bank on a monthly basis, stocking up on items such as toys, clothes, and baby food - saving her around £50-£100 a month. Without it, she wouldn’t be able to afford these items at all.
She says: “The people at the baby bank never judge anyone, they’re aware of the cost of living crisis, and that no one has chosen to be in this situation. They’re all mums, grannies - they understand.
“They would allow me to stock up as much as I needed to. No one judges you, and everyone is happy to talk to you. When Jacob was born, I used my savings to buy him a lot of things, as every new mum does. Then I realised I didn’t use much of it or need much of it, so I donated it back to the baby bank.”
I would have been faced with the impossible choice of paying for electricity or feeding my son
Lucy Kurkowska
Lucy - who worked full-time at Starbucks as a supervisor before her son was born, then reduced her hours so she could spend time with him and save on childcare costs - now works 16 hours a week, while Jacob goes to a childminder two days per week. His dad, who is not involved, pays the minimum child maintenance of £30 a week.
“We live in a one-bedroom flat and it’s electricity throughout, so in the winter our monthly bills can be as high as £700 - an amount I would not be able to afford without the help of the baby bank,” she says.
What are baby banks?
- Baby banks provide essential items for babies and young children whose parents are living in poverty – including nappies, wipes, clothing, bedding, Moses baskets, cots, blankets, toys and books.
- There are over 200 baby banks in the UK, and they run out of shops, community centres, warehouse units and even people’s living rooms and garages.
- Last year 4.2 million children in the UK were living in poverty and 800,000 children lived in a household that used a food or baby bank.
“If the baby bank didn’t exist, I would have been faced with the impossible choice of paying for electricity or feeding my son.
“I probably would be in debt by now. And I don’t live above my standards. I cook home meals, I don’t ever spend money on myself or get my hair or nails done. I really don’t know what I would do without it.
“My baby is well-fed, dressed, has toys to play with, and has a dry bum. It is thanks to this project and its benefits that my child is happy and healthy and there is no greater feedback, feeling or a reason for being forever grateful to the baby bank.
“It’s really tough - but I’m still standing!”
As well as financial help, Lucy was surprised to find the volunteers at the baby bank offered her more than baby products; she also felt part of the community and was offered mental support too.
She says: “I’m not from this area and don’t have family here - I also lost more friends after becoming a mum, so it felt very isolating. When I go to the baby bank, there are people there who make me feel welcome and they can give me advice and support. It really is a sense of community.
“You can find clothes, a huge range of toys, educational toys, everything a new mum needs to start and even beyond that.
“It’s given me a sense of purpose, a welcoming place to go. It’s not just about the financial side, there’s an element of ‘we’re all in this together’.”
To pay it forward, Lucy has started volunteering at the baby bank herself, in a bid to help other struggling families.
Caroline Moore founded the Bows & Buttons Baby Bank in September 2020, and says that demand has rocketed since then.
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She says: “We’ve made the baby bank like a shop, so people can come in just to have a look, so there’s no need for them to feel embarrassed. Lots of people come in just to have a look. We don’t ask for any details, just their names. The difference is that in the shop, everything is free, there’s no cost for anything.
Last week alone, we had 61 families that came along for a two-hour activity session, which is a lot of people. And the numbers are going up all the time. People are just struggling.”
BABY BANK LOCATIONS
BELOW is a selection of baby banks by region. See the web address at the end of the page to find contact details for all the country’s baby banks
- North West
Baby Basics Bolton & Bury, West Lancashire
Baby Basics Carlisle, Cumbria
Baby Basics South Lakes, Cumbria
Baby Basics, Cleator Moor, West Cumbria
Trafford Little Bundles, Lancashire
TippyToes BabyBank Preston, Lancashire
Salford Baby Bank, Lancashire
Snowdrop Doula CIC Burnley, Lancashire
Cascade Baby Bundles, Audenshaw, Cheshire
The Baby Room at Spinners, Leigh, Lancashire
The Healthy Gems Baby Bank, Oldham, Lancashire
NCT Mid Cheshire
NCT Preston Baby Bundles, Lancashire
KidsBank Chester, Cheshire
Motherwell Pass It On Baby Bank, Winsford, Cheshire
Hyndburn Baby Bank, Accrington, Lancashire
- North East
Growbaby Newcastle, Tyne & Wear
Love, Amelia, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear
Birth Bath and Beyond, Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Clothe and Feed South Shields, Tyne & Wear
Clothe and Feed Sunderland, Tyne & Wear
Rosie's Corner, Hexham, Northumberland
Stockton Baby Bank, County Durham
Darlington Baby Bank, County Durham
Baby Basics Darlington
Growbaby Hull, Yorkshire
Little Acorns Baby Bank Durham, County Durham
Hartlepool Baby Bank, County Durham
- North
Growbaby Teeside, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees
Baby Basics Leeds, West Yorkshire
Baby Basics Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Leeds Baby Bank, West Yorkshire
Baby Basics Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Birth Bath and Beyond Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Bradford Baby Bank, West Yorkshire
POPI Baby Bank Keighley, West Yorkshire
Rainbow Baby Bank Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire
Stepping Stones Baby Bank Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Calderdale Lighthouse, West Yorkshire
Tiny Hands Baby Bank Pontefract, West Yorkshire
Growbaby York, North Yorkshire
- South West
Ashley's Birthday Bank, Christchurch, Dorset
Baby Bank Network Bristol
Baby Basics Gloucester, Gloucestershire
Baby Basics Cornwall
Baby Basics Plymouth
Brighter Bristol Storehouse, Bristol
Baby Basics South, Ilminster, Somerset
Growbaby Tiverton, Devon
Children's Storehouse Plymouth, Devon
Uplift Tiverton, Devon
Exeter Baby Bank Network, Devon
Little Lighthouse Baby Bank Wythenshawe, Manchester
Baby Bundles Wiltshire
The Nest Project, Bath, Somerset
Gloucestershire Bundles, Gloucester
Open Door Exmouth, Devon
Forest of Dean Baby Bank, Gloucestershire
Small Stuff Baby Bank, Radstock, Somerset
Stroud District Kid's Stuff, Gloucestershire
Teignmouth Baby Bank, Devon
Ten Little Toes Baby Bank, Cowfold, West Sussex
Growbaby Swindon, Wiltshire
- South East
Baby Bank & Beyond (South Wealden) CIC (Hellingly), East Sussex
Sebby's Corner Borehamwood, Hertfordshire
Stevenage Babyshed, Hertfordshire
Baby Basics Billericay, Essex
Growbaby Whitstable, Kent
Growbaby Aylesbury, Bucks
Baby Basics Bromley, Kent
Best Start Baby Bank, Eastbourne, Sussex
Basildon Borough Baby Bank, Essex
Growbaby Maidstone, Kent
Growbaby Rayleigh, Essex
Baby Basics Chelmsford, Essex
Growbaby St Albans, Herts
Growbaby Hemel Hempstead, Herts
Precious Bundles Colchester, Essex
Fighting Chance Baby Bank, Petworth, West Sussex
Baby2Baby, East Sussex
Baby Basics Brighton
Baby Basics Dover & Deal, Kent
Baby Basics Englefield Green, Surrey
Baby Basics Folkestone, Kent
Baby Basics Willvern, Essex
First Days Reading, Berkshire
Baby Basics Hastings and Rother, East Sussex
Baby Basics, Grays, Kent
Baby Basics Shoreham, West Sussex
NCT Winchester Baby Bundles, Hampshire
NCT Woking Baby Bundles, Surrey
Pelican Parcels Brighton and Hove, Sussex
Baby Stuff Braintree, Essex
Tots 2 Teens Colchester baby bank, Essex
Stripey Stork, Reigate, Surrey
Sunshine Baby Bank Southend, Essex
The Baby Bank HQ Havering, Essex
The Baby Bank HQ Thurrock, Essex
Community Wardrobe Chelmsford, Essex
The Baby Bank Windsor, Berkshire
Growbaby Storehouse Ashford, Kent
Moses Basket Brentwood, Essex,
Growbaby Chelmsford, Essex
NCT Little Bundles Baby Bank Chichester & Arun, West Sussex
NCT Baby Bundles Sevenoaks and Tonbridge, Kent
Mama to Mama, Margate, Kent
Home-Start West Berkshire Baby Bank, Newbury, Berkshire
Growbaby, Wokingham, Berkshire
The Baby Bank HQ Barking, Dagenham and Redbridge, Essex
- South
Baby Basics Portsmouth, Hampshire
Baby Basics Guildford
Baby Branch Southampton, Hampshire
Baby Necessities Southampton, Hampshire
Portsmouth Baby Bank, Hampshire
- Channel Islands
Baby Basics Jersey
- London
214 SPACE Baby Bank Hub Brent
214 SPACE Baby Bank Hub Hammersmith & Fulham
214 SPACE Baby Bank Hub Kensington & Chelsea
Growbaby Lighthouse, Sutton, Greater London
Growbaby, Newham
Growbaby, Merton
Bromley Brighter Beginnings
Growbaby Purley
Baby Basics, Barnet
Cariad Baby Bank, Harrow
Growbaby Kingston upon Thames
Choices Boutique Islington
Cornerstone Baby Bank Leyton
Growbaby Wandsworth
Baby Basics Sunbury
Growbaby Enfield
Ealing Salvation Army Baby Bank
The Small Project South London
Tiny Toes, Tiny Feet, Northwood
Camberwell Baby Bank
Orchard Baby Bank, Woodford
Peabody Toddlers Clothes Bank, Ilford
Pram Depot Wood Green
Little Village (London-wide)
Mammakind Baby Bank, Greenwich
MerryGoRound Islington
Growbaby Hoxton
NCT Redbridge Baby Bundles
Hackney Children & Baby Bank
Ilford Salvation Army Baby Bank
Mama2Mama Woolwich
Lloyd Park Children's Charity Baby Bank Walthamstow
The Extra Mile, Hampton, Richmond Upon Thames.
- Midlands
Brierley Hill Baby Bank, Dudley, West Mids
Baskets of Joy Leicester
Growbaby Leicester
Alice Charity, Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire
Growbaby Northampton
The Arches, Nottingham
High Peak Baby Bank, Buxton, Derbyshire
Growbaby, Nuneaton, Warwickshire
Growbaby Bedworth, Warwickshire
Bicester Baby Bank, Oxfordshire
Elayos Baby Bank Birmingham
Baby Basics Wolverhampton
Growbaby Birmingham St Michaels Church
Baby Aid Birmingham
Baby Basics Warwick
Baby Godiva Coventry
Growkids Coventry
Baby Basics Chesterfield, Derbyshire
Baby Basics Long Eaton, Notts
Baby Basics Leicester
Baby Basics Northampton
Baby Basics Hinckley, Leicestershire
Growbaby Birmingham Vineyard City Centre Site
Tots in Need Walsall, West Mids
Spark Baby & Children's Bank Staffordshire
Staffordshire Baby Bank, Stafford, Staffs
Telford and Wrekin Baby and Toddler bank, Shropshire
Clothe and Feed Wallsend, Herefordshire
Little Stars Shropshire
Karis Baby Bank Central Birmingham
NCT Malvern Hills Baby Bundles, Worcs
Little Cherub's Baby Bank High Peak, Derbyshire
Growbaby Worcester
- Wales
Baby Basics Dryffryn Clwyd Denbigh
Baby Basics Vale of Glamorgan
Baby Basics Newtown
Baby Basics Swansea
Baby Basics Port Talbot
Baby Basics Wrexham
Cwtch Baby Bank Cardiff
Baby Basics Penrhiwceiber
Cariad a Cwtch Baby Bank Llandrindod Wells
Growbaby Cardiff
Pembrokeshire Baby Bank
Splice Baby Bank Bridgend
Bundles Baby Clothing and Birth Support, Newport
Bethel Baby Bank Port Talbot
NCT Cardiff Baby Bundles
Ely Baby Bank
Feed Newport Baby Bank
- Scotland
Bairn Necessities, Glasgow
AberNecessities, Aberdeen
Growbaby Fife
Baby Bank Scotland, Hamilton
Bairnecessities Aberdeenshire
Bear Necessities Airdrie
Togs for Tots Dundee
Glasgow Baby Food Bank
GRA Baby Bank Aberdeenshire
Nelly Boxes East Renfrewshire Baby Bank
No 1 Glasgow Baby & Family Support Service
Tiny Treasures Baby Bank Oban
Button and Bows Baby Bank Perth
Cumbernauld & Kilsyth Care
Misty Glen Baby Bank Fort William
Dingwall Primary Baby Bank
Moray Baby Bank
Monklands Baby and Family Clothing Aid
- East
Abi's Footprints, Sudbury, Suffolk
Baby Bank Norfolk
Baby Basics Lowestoft, Suffolk
Baby Basics West Norfolk
West Marsh Baby Bank, Lincolnshire
Suffolk Baby Bank, Bury Saint Edmunds
Baby's Basket, Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Growbaby Thetford, Norfolk
Growkids Norwich, Norfolk
Fenland Family and Baby Bank, Cambridgeshire
GrowKids Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
Little Family Baby Bank, Sutton On Sea, Lincolnshire
Little Treasures Baby Bank, Horncastle, East Lincolnshire
Little Bundles, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
- Northern Ireland
Baby Basics Antrim & Newtonabbey
Baby Basics Ballymena
Baby Basics Belfast
Bump2Baby NI (Mid-Ulster Baby Bank)
Baby Basics Banbridge
Baby Basics Causeway
Baby Basics Magherafelt
Baby Basics Mullavilly
Growbaby Enniskillen
Carrickfergus Baby Bank