Home-Start East Antrim

There for parents when they need us most, because childhood can't wait

Baby Bank

Baby Bank Referrals

About the Baby Bank

The Baby Bank is a new service set up to support families facing financial hardship.

We accept good-quality second-hand clothes and essential items such as nappies for babies and children up to the age of 3 and distribute them to families in need.

Home-Start East Antrim services support families across Larne, Carrrickfergus and Newtownabbey – however the baby bank currently focuses external referrals on the Larne area, as Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey already have community based Baby Bank services and we do not wish to duplicate these services.

Families can self refer to the Baby Bank or ask a professional such as community midwives, health visitors or local community organisation to refer them.

Reasons for referral include (but are not limited to):

Struggling with day to day cost of living
Domestic violence/leaving the family home
Isolation from family
Crisis event in the family
Refugee/asylum seeker status or newly arrived to the UK
Homelessness or living in temporary accommodation

Making a referral:

Please note we do accept Baby Bank support referral’s directly from families.

We will not pass families details onto anyone else; the only information we will ever share is general information such as the number of families receiving support and the number of support items i.e. essentials packs, bundles of clothes etc. that we have given out in the past year.

We aim to respond to all queries and referrals within 1 week.

If you have any questions or an urgent request, do not hesitate to email us on babybank@homestarteastantrim.org.uk or call 07398 711975 / 07377 251223

Please note the Home-Start East Antrim Baby Bank is coordinated by volunteers – please leave a message and your call will be returned.

Making a Referral

How to make a referral: Click on the title “Baby Bank Referral Form” or the + symbol in the section below and follow the instructions to make a referral.

Both professional and families themselves can use this form to make a referral. If you are completing the form as a parent seeking support, please add your own details to both the referrer details and family details section.

Baby Bank Referral Form

About this referral

All referrals must be made with the consent of the individual. Have you discussed this referral with the individual prior to completing this form?

I agree*

I agree that the client has consented to this application

About the Referrer

Your name*

Please enter your full name

Job Title*

Please enter your job title

Date*

Date of this referral

Referrer's Email Address*

Please enter your email address

Referrer's organisation*

Please enter the organisation you represent

Your contact number*

Please enter a number we can contact you on.

About the family seeking the service

All items marked in red are required to submit the form.

Family Name*

Please enter the family name name

Contact telephone number*

Please enter their contact number. It may help if this number can be used with WhatsApp

Parent's email address

Please enter a valid email address we can use to contact them (Optional)

Family Address

Family's Address*

Please enter the family's address here

Family's postal code*

Please enter your postal code so we can check you are in our area

Conditions

We supply items for children from birth up to 3 years old.
We will supply items as close to the requirements as possible, if we have them available.
All items must be collected by the family or referrer from the Home-Start East Antrim Baby Bank office at Greenland Community Centre in Larne.
For further information, please contact the Baby Bank on 07398 711975 / 07377 251223 and leave a message and a member of the team will get back to you. (Please note the Baby Bank service is co-ordinated and delivered by volunteers)

Please Note: Home-Start East Antrim Baby Bank provide families with an essentials bag which will contain nappies, wipes and baby toiletries – families can receive a maximum of 4 essentials bags in any 6 month period.

Item 1

Enter item 1*

Short description

Select an age range*

Make a selection

Select gender*

Make a selection

Notes

Brief notes

Item 2

Enter item 2

Short description

Select an age range

Make a selection

Select gender

Make a selection

Notes

Brief notes

Item 3

Enter item 3

Short description

Select an age range

Make a selection

Select gender

Make a selection

Notes

Brief notes

Item 4

Enter item 4

Short description

Select an age range

Make a selection

Select gender

Make a selection

Notes

Brief notes

Item 5

Enter item 5

Short description

Select an age range

Make a selection

Select gender

Make a selection

Notes

Brief notes

Item 6

Enter item 6

Short description

Select an age range

Make a selection

Select gender

Make a selection

Notes

Brief notes

Comments about this referral

Add any additional comments in this field about this referral

Privacy Policy

Please indicate your acceptance of our privacy policy which can be found here Privacy Policy (opens in a new window).

Privacy Policy Accepted*

Please read our privacy policy before submitting the details you have provided to us

Questions?

If you have any questions about using this form or any of the others on this page please call us for assistance on 028 9332 8875 during office hours.

Donations:

We will use our Facebook page to make requests for donations. You can find our Baby Bank Facebook page here: Home-Start East Antrim Baby Bank

Alternatively, you can help us out with a cash donation to help with the day-to-day running costs of the Baby Bank and purchase items that must be bought new for example, bottles and teats, etc. If you wish to make a donation or volunteer to help, your support would be very welcome, please get in touch through our Contact Us page

Click on the button below to download our Donations Guide for the Baby Bank.

We are extremely grateful for your support

Donations Guide

FAQs

Do you offer a collection service for items I want to donate?

We do not currently offer a collection service.

How do I know what you need?

The easiest way to find what we’ve been up to and what our current needs are is by liking or following us on our Baby Bank Facebook page.

Do you have a list of what you accept and what quality do the items have to be in?

We post regular updates to our Facebook page with items we are accepting, or you can take a look on the Donation Guide (view the donations guide) Items must be in excellent preloved or new condition. If you would give it to your best friend, then we will take it!

Do I need to clean the items I am donating?

Yes, please. We are a small team of volunteers, and we work in a small space with no facilities to wash goods. For further information, please refer to our Donation Guide.

What else can I donate?

Please only donate items listed on the Donation Guide. Disposing of unwanted items takes up time for volunteers and we want to focus this time on providing essential support for families.

Where and when can I drop off items?

You can come in on one of our regular donation days. Follow us on Facebook to find out when they are Home-Start East Antrim Baby Bank

What will you buy with cash donations?

Cash donations are used to buy items that must be bought new – such as safety items for example, teats for bottles and potties. We also use donations to purchase that we are short off such as particular sizes in nappies or items of clothing. If you wish to make a cash donation please contact us.

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