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HRH The Princess Royal champions vital support for families during visit with the Baby Bank Alliance and Baby Basics Sheffield
20th February 2026
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visits Baby Basics UK & Sheffield with the Baby Bank Alliance, to hear about their work supporting families in need.
Sheffield, UK – The Baby Bank Alliance co-hosted an event today with Baby Basics UK & Sheffield, showcasing to Her Royal Highness the work of this community-led service, which offers vital support to families with young children facing financial hardship.
The Baby Bank Alliance supports the UK’s 400+ baby banks, which provide essential items for babies and children to families in need. Baby Basics UK is one of the largest networks of baby banks in the country, supporting families with the practical essentials they need for life with children from pre-birth to five. Baby Basics UK & Sheffield are one of 253 baby banks members of the Baby Bank Alliance. Baby Basics Sheffield is the longest running baby bank in the UK, having been established for seventeen years.
In 2025, Baby Basics UK centres across the country, supported over 45,000 children and their families, distributing more than 100,000 essential items nationwide. Baby Basics Sheffield supports on average 94 children a week and 1 in 10 babies born in the city receive a moses basket from this vital charity. In 2024, UK baby banks gave out more than 3.5 million items in total, a 143% increase in a year**.
With 4.5 million children in the UK living in poverty***, the need for baby banks is, sadly, ever-growing: referrals went up by 35% in a year**. Baby banks are stepping in to help families who are struggling to afford essentials such as nappies, cots, clothing and prams.
Her Royal Highness met key staff members and volunteers at Baby Basics UK & Sheffield, who told her about how important the centre was for young families struggling with the cost of living.
The Princess Royal also met the team from award-winning hypoallergenic nappy company Kit & Kin, who have worked closely with Baby Basics UK since the launch of the Supporting Baby Banks Initiative by HRH The Princess of Wales in 2020, providing donations to their national network of Baby Basics Centres.
Catherine Ross, CEO of Baby Basics UK said;
“We are thrilled to have welcomed Her Royal Highness to Baby Basics UK & Sheffield, and to be able to showcase the work of our inaugural Sheffield centre and our wider network of centres across the UK.
“Our hope is that this visit highlights the importance of baby banks in the UK and the vital service they provide to families in need.”
Volunteer Aekila Aggarwal who met HRH The Princess Royal said;
“After eight years with Baby Basics Sheffield, I remain proud of the work we do even as the need sadly grows each year. We are honoured by The Princess Royal’s visit and hope it shines a light on this amazing charity, with the dream that one day our help will no longer be needed.”
Christopher Money, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Kit & Kin said;
“It was a real honour to visit Baby Basics and meet Her Royal Highness to discuss the vital role baby banks play across the UK. At Kit & Kin, supporting families goes beyond the products we make. Baby banks provide essential items to families during some of the toughest moments in their lives, and we’re incredibly proud to support an organisation making such a meaningful difference to communities across the country”
Dani Adams, Executive Lead at the Baby Bank Alliance said;
“The Princess Royal’s visit shines a spotlight on not only the difficult reality for families, but also the incredible work baby banks do.
“We know that families are continuing to struggle to provide basics for their children, and demand for essentials is at record levels. Baby banks are a lifeline for so many and recognising this has never been more important. It’s great to have this support from Her Royal Highness.”
For further information please contact: [email protected] or [email protected]
*Data from Baby Basics UK/Sheffield (data capture system reporting on figures for 2025)
*Data from the Baby Bank Alliance Annual Survey, submitted by 148 baby banks in the UK in 2025, reporting on 2024 figures.
*** ¹ Data from the DWP, Households Below Average Income: an analysis of the UK income distribution: FYE 1995 to FYE 2024
About Baby Basics UK
Baby Basics UK is a registered charity (No. 1168099) established in 2009 and presently operating across 55 localities throughout the UK including Wales, Northern Ireland & The Channel Islands.
About The Baby Bank Alliance
The Baby Bank Alliance is founded by Save the Children, Purposeful Ventures, Little Village and Bristol Baby Bank Network. Purposeful Ventures is a registered charity (1204622) in England and Wales. Save the Children is a registered company limited by guarantee (Company No. 178159), registered Charity in England and Wales (No. 213890), Scotland (SC039570) and Isle of Man (No. 199)