Bid to ease baby costs

Better Start recycling scheme, from left, Peter Norman, Wilf McGuiness,
Jill Threlfall, Sharon Mather, Simone Moore, Janet Sketchly, Jacqui Wild, and Mary Keith — Better Start recycling scheme, from left, Peter Norman, Wilf McGuiness, Jill Threlfall, Sharon Mather, Simone Moore, Janet Sketchly, Jacqui Wild, and Mary Keith

The NSPCC’s Better Start programme has joined forces with charities Helping Hand and the Salvation Army to provide a baby clothing re-use bank for families with youngsters aged from newborn to three years old.

Dubbed Baby Rover, the scheme will be launched on Tuesday.

For a lifetime’s membership fee of £2.50 Blackpool families can buy bundles of 10 items of babies’ or children’s clothes for £1.

It is hoped the move will help those parents in the town who are struggling to make ends meet.

Merle Davies, director of the Centre for Early Child Development, said: “Our Community Voice parents have told us local families wanted easy access to affordable clothing so we are working with the community to provide families with what they need.

“It also represents one of the 100 Acts of Kindness that Blackpool Council and partners have signed up to.

“We are delighted to support fund this project and to work with Helping Hand and the Salvation Army to ensure families in Blackpool can benefit and to get it off the ground.”

Blackpool families can join the scheme by completing a form at Helping Hand’s shop or depot and can buy their first bundle of clothes at the same time.

Families can go along to Helping Hand outlets at Unit 9 Brinwell Road, Marton, and also the charity’s shop on Cookson Street in the town centre.

Baby Rover Scheme members can also get a 20 per cent discount on furniture at the Helping Hand Shop and a 20 per cent discount at the Salvation Army Shop in the Citadel on Church Street.

Mrs Davies added: “For just £2.50 Blackpool families will have access to good value clothing for young children and some great discounts on furniture items that every family needs.”

Better Start is a 10-year programme, funded by grants including £45m from the Big Lottery Fund, which aims to improve the life chances of children aged up to three years who are born into families living in the town’s most deprived areas.

It is also currently working with communities to  improve play areas in a number of parks within the resort.

The programme is initially focusing on the seven wards where residents face the greatest challenges – Bloomfield, Brunswick, Claremont, Clifton, Park, Talbot and Victoria.