Baby Basics Carlisle
Welcome to Baby Basics Carlisle.
Baby Basics Carlisle started in 2018, and is based very close to Carlisle City Centre.
We receive referrals from a wide variety of agencies including NHS, Social work, charities and government agencies. We complete several baby baskets every month. Each basket comes with a NEW mattress and also is full of toiletries, for both mum and baby, nappies, clothing and everything you would need for a new-born.
About Us
Here at Baby Basics Carlisle, we work with local midwives, health visitors and other professional groups to provide support where it is mostly needed.
The volunteers lovingly collect, sort and then package a moses basket with clothing, toiletries and essentials for the baby and Mum as a loving gift to them.
We meet at our base on most Wednesday mornings each week between 11am and 1pm.
During this time we are open for donations, deliveries and collection of packs. However, we can facilitate other times by arrangement.
Meet the Team
The Baby Basics Carlisle team is made up of four volunteers.
Get Help
Families
We work by professional referral only.
We take referrals from any organisation working with families including midwives, health visitors, local council, housing, charities, churches and community organisations.
Make a Referral
We work by professional referral only. We take referrals from any organisation working with families including midwives, health visitors, local council, housing, charities, churches and community organisations.
We aim to pack the referral 4 weeks before due date for an unborn baby or within 2 weeks of referral date for other referrals. If your referral is more urgent than this, e.g for a baby due within 4 weeks, a newborn not sleeping safely or a newborn (up to 3 months) who has no clothing to wear, highlight the urgency in email.
It must be the referrer or someone from your organisation that collects the referral. We do not allow families to collect their own items or have any contact directly with the families.
- Referrals should be made by email to ccfbabybasics@gmail.com the email should include the clients name, postcode, estimated date of delivery and brief details of how the mum qualifies for referral, it can also include sex of baby if mum knows and would like a more gender specific basket.
- We will reply to confirm your referral is processed or to ask for any other details we need.
- We will email when the basket is ready for collection, please ensure you can arrange prompt collection as our storage is limited.
Give Help
See latest donation list
Donating secondhand items
We love giving out high quality preloved items as know they can continue to be enjoyed by the next owners. We ask that items donated are from our list or a specific request as our storage is limited. Please only donate clean, stain free, good quality items that are from smoke-free homes so they can be given out. Items may be passed on if not suitable or if our storage is full.
We ask that all items are washed and if possible sorted into sizes/categories in clearly labelled bags before being brought to us to speed up our processing. All moses baskets have to be given out with a new mattress as standard so please dispose of yours before donating a basket (unless is new in packaging) .
Donating equipment
Unfortunately we are only able to accept items on our donation list.
Donating new items
Please take a look at our latest donation list for ideas and then contact us via our Facebook page our send us an email to arrange either a drop off or collection.
Donating financially
Regular or one-off
This country is facing a huge cost of living crisis, with many families struggling to keep up with even the basic needs of a growing family. We are delighted to help, but we can’t do it without donations.
Donating items is great, but there is always a cost. Every second-hand Moses basket we receive, we have to buy a new mattress for. This costs money.
We regularly run out of toiletries, and so we have to buy them – this costs money.
If you would like to support us, but can’t give donations of items and you don’t knit, then please do make a cash donation. We are happy to receive anything you can afford, every pound received makes a difference to the families we support.
How can you get involved?
Do you like charity shops/Facebook marketplace etc? Can you help acquire needed items for us? Or even drop them to the church too.
Knitting or crocheting – We love giving out knitted items. We can give out hats, mittens, jumpers/cardis and blankets suitable for under 6 months. We just request that they are a tight knit-no big gaps please for little fingers to go through.
Fundraising – We support anyone who would like to fundraise for us. If you would like to get involved please contact us by email or facebook.
Follow our Facebook page as sometimes have specific requests. If you want to give financially,or have any donations (see donations list) please let us know, we would love to hear from you!
