Community Hub hands new Buckie baby bank cash boost
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A NEW Buckie baby bank has received a major cash boost thanks to a community organisation in the town.
The baby bank, which is run by Ashleigh Mair and mum Gillian Hepburn from their children's wear boutique TooCute on High Street, has been running since January. They have now joined forces with Buckie Community Hub – itself a fledgling organisation, opening its doors on East Church Street last November – in a move that has seen the baby bank gain access to £1500 in funding.
Ashleigh – who was described by her mum as someone who has "always had a charitable bone in her body" – said the cost living crisis had provided the inspiration for setting up the baby bank.
She said: "I first came up with the idea in October last year through the cost of living crisis and all the prices were rising.
"I like to help when I can and I thought that 'we've a shop here, we've a wee bit of room, let's see what we can do to help'.
"I set up a Facebook page – TooCute Baby Bank Buckie – and I soon saw there was a need for a baby bank. It all took off from there, we started receiving donations and the baby bank began operating properly in January.
"The folk of Buckie have been brilliant supporting us, they've been very generous.
"The baby bank has been providing a lot of different things, like pre-loved clothing, nappies, milk, toiletries as well as bigger items such as cots. As we've got limited space here we've even had some folk who've donated larger items offering to deliver them and free up storage room for us at the shop.
"We started off providing clothing but it's really branched out in a very short space of time.
"Things like nappies and milk are ongoing expenses for families that they may need help with again and again."
The Facebook page was to attract the attention of the Buckie Community Hub, the brainchild of the Buckie Area Forum.
Forum chairman Gordon McDonald said: "We saw Ashleigh's Facebook page appealing for items and we thought this was something that we could maybe help with.
"After discussions with Ashleigh and Gillian it was clear that we could refer people in need to the Baby Bank who had approached the Hub and also see if we could pull down grant funding to help support it. We were delighted to get a grant of £1500 from the Moray Health Improvement Fund and we agreed a list of items with Ashleigh and Gillian that this money would be spent on for the baby bank.
"The referrals system works both ways – if folk are coming to the baby desperate for stuff they are almost certainly desperate for benefits and they can be transferred to the hub where we'd try and help them.
"We're trying to build a network of contacts to help each other so this partnership with TooCute fits like a glove with this aim."
To find out more about the Hub and what it has to offer, visit its Facebook page.
While the baby bank may be a new kid on the block it is a sign of the times that it has already been a sought-after source of support.
Gillian added: "We've been busy since we started, I'd say we average about three families a week, sometimes more.
"I think once more folk realise we're here and what we're trying to do, it will get a lot busier.
"Most of the items we have are pre-loved but it's lovely stuff, it's like new.
"We mainly cover the Buckie area but we've had folk from Elgin and Lossie down – we don't ask questions, if you're in need, you're in need."
