Donate
Baby Bank Alliance – Membership Charter
The Baby Bank Alliance exists to support UK baby banks in their vital work with families. BBA membership is free and open to UK baby banks who would like to join.
The Baby Bank Alliance welcomes and supports every UK baby bank. The values of equality, diversity and inclusion are of the highest priority in everything we do. Therefore, we believe that support from baby banks should be available to all, and not conditional on taking part in any religious or political activities.
The BBA’s definition of a baby bank is a not-for-profit organisation which passes on items for babies and children to families in need (whether through a referral partner, or directly), for free. We consider an organisation to be a baby bank if they provide a variety of products for babies and children: nappies, toiletries, clothing and larger items such as Moses baskets, cots or prams, rather than only one such product type. We will always review potential BBA members on a case-by-case basis.
We will provide support, training, access to funding and gift-in-kind opportunities, and the benefits of being part of a supportive community of baby banks. We will ask for your help to shape and build the Alliance with us and hope you will participate in the opportunities we offer, working together to provide a quality network of support to other baby banks and the families they support.
This Charter sets out how the Alliance will be run, (with and by baby banks, for baby banks) and why membership will be useful to your baby bank and what we ask of you as our members.
By signing up to this Charter your baby bank is agreeing to how the Alliance will be run (our operating principles) and committing to what will be required of you as a member.
Operating principles of the Baby Bank Alliance
These principles underpin the work of the Baby Bank Alliance as it is now. We expect these to continue to evolve as we develop.
Ambitious
We passionately believe that baby banks are playing a vital role in the UK (to alleviate child poverty and provide a sustainable way to reuse items). We are ambitious about raising awareness of baby banks, ambitious about the scale of funding and partnerships we want to deliver for baby banks and ambitious about helping every baby bank to be as effective as possible. We take strong positions on issues that matter to baby banks and the families they support.
Collaborative
We are called an alliance because community and collaboration is at the core of who we are and how we operate. We are guided and shaped by the real-life experiences and needs of baby banks and families they support across the country. We are committed to supporting and listening to each other in an inclusive, kind and supportive way.
Accountable
We are accountable to the baby bank community we serve; always seeking to operate with transparency, inviting and responding to feedback and sharing opportunities equitably across the community. We will advocate and represent the baby bank community effectively and powerfully.
Sustainable
We believe that the reuse and sharing of essential items for babies and children can help build community resilience as well as tackle the climate crisis. We will work in service of baby banks to showcase their environmental impact.
Benefits of Baby Bank Alliance membership:
In our third year we will be offering and testing a range of member offers and benefits, with more being introduced as we grow. These include:
- Access to our-free resources library, which is full of policy examples, training, helpful guides and more
- Invitations to our exclusive sharing and learning sessions, and free training, access to funding and products for your baby bank via our Development Fund (an annual grant of unrestricted funding for every eligible member.) and national partnerships.
- The opportunity to raise the profile of your baby bank and the wider baby bank community through participating in national media campaigns
- Access to national data about the impact of baby banks, gathered through our annual survey (the only national survey of baby banks). We will also help you to visualise your own impact and data, to support reporting and conversations with funders and trustees.
- The ability to shape the initiatives of the Baby Bank Alliance through participating in polls and questions, and the giving of feedback
We will always be equitable in sharing member opportunities, prioritising smaller baby banks at times who might struggle to access opportunities elsewhere. However, there may be some opportunities that are restricted by location or operating model.
Benefits of Baby Bank Alliance membership:
In our first year we will be testing a range of member offers and benefits, with more being introduced as we grow.
- Improve the effectiveness of your baby bank by accessing our policy library, exclusive sharing and learning sessions, free training and mentoring programmes
- Access funding and products for your baby bank via our Development Fund and national partnerships
- Raise the profile of your baby bank and the baby bank community through national media campaigns and advocacy
- Get access to national data about the impact of baby banks, and help visualise your impact
- Shape the activities of the Baby Bank Alliance through becoming a trustee or joining our Advisory Board
Note that we will always aim to be equitable in sharing member opportunities, prioritising smaller baby banks at times who might struggle to access opportunities elsewhere.
What do we ask of our members?
1
Agree with the operating principles of the Alliance set out in this Charter
2
Confirm that your baby bank has the following policies in place, or will work towards meeting them within 3 months of membership:
If you are not a registered charity or CIC you will also need to confirm that you have a written constitution or governing document stating your aims, objects and methods of working.
3
Commit to sending us information about your baby bank annually (with our support) including:
- The number of families and/or children you support.
- The income level of your baby bank
- Details about the number of items you distributed to families
- Your thoughts on the performance of the Baby Bank Alliance
- The number of families and/or children you support.
Note: if you don’t currently capture this information that is not a barrier to joining the Alliance – we can work with you to help you do this in a way that works for your baby bank.
4
Participate, contribute to and shape the Alliance
- Attend and participate in relevant opportunities and groups available.
- Feed in views from the children and families you work with.
- Share and disseminate the work of the Alliance via your networks.
Note: if you don’t currently capture this information that is not a barrier to joining the Alliance – we can work with you to help you do this in a way that works for your baby bank.
We’re so excited to create this Alliance with you and look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.
If you’d like to discuss anything in the charter please drop us an email at [email protected].
Join the Baby Bank Alliance and help us grow a strong community
Building connections between baby banks and providing tailored training and resources.