COVENTRY housebuilder Bellway South Midlands has donated £500 to help the city’s Baby Godiva charity.
The local baby bank provides pre-loved and new nursery items to families in need.
Baby Godiva collects, sorts and redistributes essentials to babies aged up to 12 months and currently relies on welfare professionals across Coventry and Warwickshire to deliver items on its behalf.
It is currently raising funds to buy a van which will enable it to become more mobile and reach even more people and Bellway’s donation will provide a significant boost towards its target.
Belle Edgar-McCabe, Director of Baby Godiva, said: “Our team is made up entirely of volunteers, and we rely on grants to keep purchasing the stock we need to support families.
“We were unable to receive donations from the public during the lockdowns, so donations such as this one from Bellway, are greatly welcomed and much appreciated.
“The ultimate goal is to eventually have a shop we can run the charity from, but for now we just want to be able to get to the people who need our help by attending food banks, family hubs and Godiva festival.”
Elaine Brown, Head of Sales for Bellway South Midlands, said as a housebuilder based in Coventry with several developments in the city and in Warwickshire, it had an extremely strong connection with the area and was keen to support local charities doing vital work in their communities.
“Many parents have to face difficult times and charities like Baby Godiva are there to give a helping hand to those that need it the most.”
Mum-of-two Belle founded Baby Godiva just over two years ago and runs the charity from her home with her mum Eileen and a friend Laura.
She said: “I was at my local family hub when I overheard some of the health visitors describe one of the mothers seeking help as ‘destitute’.
“After that, I could not get that poor woman out of my head. Where was she now? Did she get the help she needed?
“After speaking with numerous welfare professionals, it was established that no baby bank service was available to the people of Coventry.”
Coventry’s first ever baby bank, founded in May 2019, is aimed at helping recycle and provide essentials for mothers who may not be able to afford them.
There is a self-referral process, and people are assessed at the point of contact.
Mums may just need a few nappies to tide them over or maybe constant assistance.
Since it started it has helped around 60 families-a-month and approximately 1,100 in total.
Visit babygodiva.org for more on Baby Godiva and bellway.co.uk for the homes being built across Coventry.
