About Us
We work closely with over 20 referral agencies including midwives, health visitors, social workers, FHDC welfare and Housing teams as well as other organisations and charities to provide a safe and reliable service that people can trust.
We are open for donations on Fridays from 9-12noon during termtime, please check our social media for last minute changes (eg if we are full).
Items we need are listed on our social media. This list is updated regularly.
The address for donations (but not for cots and prams) is: 22 St Winifred Road, CT19 4BW
Contact us by email if you are hoping to donate a cot, cotbed or pram: babybasicsfolkestone@gmail.com
Meet the Team
An incredible team of over 15 volunteers freely give their time to sort, wash and iron donations, prepare cots and cotbeds as well as prams, pack referrals, do the admin and so much more!
Get Help
We work by professional referral only.
Families
We take referrals from any organisation working with families including:
- Midwives
- Health visitors
- Social services
- Local council
- Housing departments
- Charities
- Faith groups
- Other community organisations
We support families from pre-birth to 3 months old.
Cots and cot beds are provided for older babies and toddlers, if stock allows.
Do you live in the Shepway area and need help with items for your family?
We can help. Please talk to your health visitor, midwife, social care professional, a charity or community organisation that is supporting you. They will be able to make a referral on your behalf. We do not accept self-referrals.
If you have not seen your health visitor for a while or do not know how to contact them, contact your GP or local Family Hub who will be able to tell you.
Make a Referral
We aim to respond by email to referral requests within 3-4 days. If the due date for this baby is a few months away then we aim to get items ready for about 6 weeks before the due date.
Items requested will be prepared and then we will contact the referrer to arrange a suitable time for items to be collected from BBF. We do not deliver items direct to families, and families are not able to collect items direct from us.
If a referral is urgent ie a baby has been born early, or doesn’t have a safe space to sleep, or adequate clothing then email babybasicsfolkestone@gmail.com
or call us on: 07377 046 268
If no reply, leave a message with your name and contact details and we will contact you as soon as possible.
Please note it must be the referrer, or someone from the organisation, that collects the referral.
There is no limit to the number of times a referrer can refer a family to BBF if the referrer assess that there is an on-going need for support. We can provide more nappies (sizes 0,1,2 & 3), toiletries and clothing (if in stock).
Please discuss with the family which of the following items they need:
- Moses basket, mattress, sheets and blankets
- Baby bath, towel and muslins
- Pram suitable for a newborn and which changes into a pushchair
- Cot or cotbed, mattress, sheets and blankets
- Nappy bundle includes 200 nappies, nappy cream, nappy sacks, cotton wool and wetwipes (specify sizes from 0,1,2,& 3)
- Changing mat
- Play mat/babygym
- Clothing bundle 0-3m (3-6m if in stock)
- Infant feeding bottles and bottle brush
- Steriliser: either microwave or cold water type (please specify)
- Hospital/Labour bag
Give Help
Donating secondhand items
Please see our latest list of what we need on our FaceBook or Instagram
This list is updated regularly.
90% of what we provide are high quality secondhand items.
We update our donation list of what’s needed regularly on our social media.
Please only donate items needed, as items not on our list take time to process and will be passed on elsewhere if our stocks are full.
Drop off for donations is Fridays between 9-12 noon during school termtimes, please check our social media to see if we have had to close (eg if our storage area is full).
Thank you.
Donating equipment
We are limited in storage space for these larger items so please email us on babybasicsfolkestone@gmail.com or message us via fb messenger
Or call or text us on 07300 046 268
We cannot accept any items that are broken, have missing parts or need excessive cleaning.
We do not accept next-to-me cribs, swinging cribs, travel cots, car seats, buggies with no hood, jumparoos, bouncy chairs, sit in walkers or bath seats for babies.
Equipment we can accept:
From pet free and smoke free homes
Moses Baskets (less than 10 years old), please remove the mattress as we cannot give these out.
Baby Baths (no bath seats)
Newborn prams (less than 10 years old, ones which lay completely flat, and also convert into a pushchair)
Cots and cotbeds, please remove mattresses as we cannot give these out.
Play gyms
Changing bags in excellent condition (no rips/tears or broken zips)
Donating new items
You can donate in the following ways:
Buy and drop items to us (address above)
Purchase a Pick Up Pack from Morrisons in Folkestone
FaceBook or Instagram for our what’s needed list
New items we can accept:
Toiletries for baby:
- Nappies sizes 0, 1, 2 & 3 all brands accepted
- Baby wipes
- Cotton wool
- Top-to-toe wash
- Shampoo
- Nappy cream
- Nappy sacks
- 0-2 years toothbrush and paste
- Hooded towels
- Muslins
- Changing mats
- Shampoo and conditioner for afro/curly hair
Toiletries for adult:
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Shampoo and conditioner for afro/curly hair
- Shower gel for women and men
- Toothpaste and toothbrushes
- Roll on deodorant
- Maternity pads
- Breast pads
- Lip balm
- Disposable pants (Sizes: small, medium or large)
Donating financially
Regular or one-off
Regular or one-off
Donate via our giving button:
We are partnered with Harbour Community Church so please reference any donations to be directed to Baby Basics Folkestone. We can receive the Gift Aid on donations if this is selected on the giving page.
How can you get involved?
Fundraising – let us know if you would like to put on a fundraising event to support what we do.
Funds raised go towards purchasing cots, cotbeds, Moses baskets, mattresses, sheets, blankets, mattress protectors and many other things that we give out.
Any amount, small or large, makes a huge difference to what we can do!
Ironing- from time to time we need help with washing and ironing donated clothes. This involves collecting the clothes from us and returning them back to us.