KidsBank are the only baby bank within the Cheshire West & Chester area and operates like a food bank. We receive donations of pre-loved and new items from our local community that are then gifted to vulnerable families with children aged between 0-12 years. With the help of our team of volunteers, we help to alleviate poverty by providing families with the practical items they need including clothing, baby equipment, books, and uniform. Each year we help to provide gifts to children who would otherwise not receive a present at Christmas. In 2022, with the help of our supporters, we ensured 790 children were provided with gifts. We anticipate up to 1,500 children will need our support this year. At Christmas, we provide support to all family members permanently living at the family address, so that a 14-year-old will receive gifts alongside their 8-year and 10-year-old siblings. We need your help to ensure that all those referred to us this year will receive the support they need.

What we'll deliver:

• We will provide gifts to children referred to us through our Christmas Referral scheme

Why it's a great idea:

1 in 3 children are now living in poverty in the UK. Christmas for those families can be a time of great stress and anxiety. By helping to provide gifts to all children referred to us, we can help provide hope and joy to those families and help improve mental health & well-being. We anticipate more families will need support this year. Each child in the family will receive gifts which may not have been the case if they had not been referred to us. The gifts that are provided will allow families to use money for food and heating. The project also gives local families the opportunity to help those in need within our community. The project is also supported by many volunteers who help sort, pick, pack and deliver gifts for families. Our project offers a great opportunity for people to volunteer for a short period time and in turn see the joy directly.

Steps to get it done:

• Sort all donated gifts into ages and review against children referred.
• Purchase gifts for ages where there are insufficient gifted items
• Sort, pick, pack and deliver gifts to families where a child has been referred.

Originally started in 2020, KidsBank have supported children in our local area to ensure that every child referred through our Christmas Referral scheme receives a present bundle at Christmas. Each year the number of children referred has doubled. In 2022 KidsBank supported 790 children at Christmas. We anticipate that up to 1,500 will need our support at Christmas this year.