Meet our 200th community member on Get Involved Coventry (… drum roll please, we’re delighted to introduce, Baby Godiva! Founded in 2019, Baby Godiva is Coventry’s only dedicated baby-bank.
Where do you go as a new parent, in need of all the vital essentials to care for your baby but struggling to make ends meet? Daily essentials like nappies are pricey – families experiencing hardship often end up rationing nappies and having to make hard choices like whether to heat the home or clothing and toys. This is where Baby Godiva steps in – operating out of Napier St, the charity is the go-to-place for parents in. They can supply a range of new and pre-loved nursery items and free of charge consumables.
In six years, the charity has grown from a small organisation operating out of the founder’s home to an essential service in shared premised with Clothing Coventry. Last year, Baby Godiva supported 469 families by providing over 5,000 items of consumables, nursery equipment, and feeding equipment.
Pictured here at Baby Godiva HQ, Katie Wilson, CEO of Baby Godiva says:
“We collect and receive items from companies in the supply chain that would go to waste, like nappies, babywipes and baby shampoos, and we get these to people who really need them. And we also receive donations of pre-loved and new nursery items like pushchairs, moses baskets and prams.”
Nestled into a corner of Napier Street, Baby Godiva maintain a warehouse of donated goods. Families in need fill out a self-referral form to receive what they need and donors can bring pre-loved items that still have plenty of use left. Baby Godiva then collects, sort and distributes baby essentials across the community.
Katie explained how grateful she is to the team of volunteers who keep the warehouse running smoothly.
Pictured here, baby goods prepared and packed ready to be delivered to families who have been in touch with what they urgently need. In the photo are nappies, wipes, toiletries, newborn clothes, double pushchair, single pushchair, baby carrier, steriliser and a changing mat. These will be personally delivered by the lovely volunteers at Baby Godiva, Ina, Gordon and James, who Katie says ‘we’d be lost without them!’
Volunteer roles with Baby Godiva:
Volunteers find it very rewarding lending a hand at Baby Godiva. Katie explained:
“If you enjoy helping others, are interested in people and available on Mondays 10am – 2pm then we would love to hear from you. We are currently on the look out for volunteers to help out with accepting donations and managing stock. The role includes sorting clothes into packs for parents in need and testing baby equipment to ensure it’s safe and usable.”
If you’re interested in finding out more about this role, then view the position on Get Involved Coventry here.
Time saving
As a high demand service and an organisations that is entirely volunteer-run, time is of the essence for the team. Katie commented on how quickly she was able to get the organisation signed up on Get Involved Coventry, saying “it was so easy to get on board, took me just five minutes”. She is looking forward to the labour-saving tools that are built into the platform designed to support the impact of the VCSE community.
What’s coming up at Baby Godiva?
Sat 5 July: Volunteers needed to help hand out leaflets for an appeal to shoppers at Morrisons, Binley. Find out more and apply here.
Tues 8 July: Nappy Giveaway Event. Do you need help with nappies for your baby? Come along to Baby Godiva to get some help for your family. Find out more here.
Useful to know:
Website: www.babygodiva.com
Get Involved Coventry Profile: www.getinvolvedcoventry.org.uk/o/Baby-Godiva
Email: babygodiva@outlook.com
For baby-bank supplies, fill out the Self-referral form: www.babygodiva.org/self-referral
To make a donation: email babygodiva@outlook.com to arrange a time to bring your donation in.
Find out more about the VCSE Alliance and creating a community profile here
