Widgit Staff Volunteer Day: Louise at Baby Basics

February 2025

From night shelters and food banks to our local special school, we’re proud to give back to our community across the year in whatever way we can. In addition to our team volunteer days, Widgit gifts a day per staff member to spend working with whichever charity they choose.

To kick things off, this January saw Content Lead Louise spend her charitable day with Baby Basics – a volunteer-led project charity supporting new mothers and families struggling to meet the financial and practical burden of looking after a new baby.

For my good causes day at Widgit, I was delighted to volunteer for a charity local to my village: Baby Basics, Leicester.

Founded in 2017, the Leicester Baby Basics centre is one of 55 hubs across the UK supporting vulnerable families who struggle to provide for their newborn babies, all the way up to toddler stage. Run by volunteers, the Baby Basics team collect and sort through preloved baby clothing and equipment—from highchairs to moses baskets, and even a child’s first buggy. These are then sorted into starter kits, including clothing, toiletries and much-needed essentials, and delivered to families in need via health visitor referral.

I had a lovely time meeting Laura and Jo, working alongside four other volunteers as we sorted through bags of donated clothes (putting my ninja folding skills to good use)! These were then sorted into the relevant storage containers for easy access when packaging referrals.

It’s hard to believe this incredible donation station was once confined to a small vacant property, where volunteers worked in their hats and gloves without the heating on! In the short space of time spent at the depot, a number of referrals were packaged and dispatched, while Laura took calls from parents seeking help for their children.

It was eye opening to comprehend the stress and uncertainty so many families face, particularly when preparing for what should be a special time. Charities like Baby Basics, who are fully reliant on volunteers, are crucial to easing that burden on vulnerable families finding their feet – even if that means the delivery of a warm coat for winter.

If you’d like to learn more about Baby Basics, visit their homepage here: https://baby-basics.org.uk/

The Warwick Baby Basics page can be found here: https://babybasicswarwick.org.uk/