Santa Stork 2024 – spreading Christmas magic, warmth and comfort
As Christmas morning breaks and the sounds of excited children echo across the country, we
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At this time of year, we like to stop and reflect before diving into the journey ahead. It’s always humbling to review on what can be accomplished when we come together with a shared goal – ensuring that every child in Surrey and Croydon has access to the essential items they need to grow and reach their potential. Here’s a summary of a busy and impactful 2024.
Although we don’t like to measure success solely by numbers, they do provide a useful indicator of how well we are meeting the demand for our services.
We’ve always been mindful that behind every referral is a family that needs our help, and our involvement with the East Surrey Poverty Truth Commission has helped us better understand the reasons for referrals, as well as what additional support may be needed. This will shape our future services and enhance how we communicate with empathy. Learn more in our blog.
School Days is our year-round school readiness project, which has become a core part of our work. We provide both preloved and new items that children need to thrive in education, from pre-school through to college.
This year, we’ve been able to support:
To put the project’s growth into perspective, that’s a 30% increase in families supported compared to 2023.
We were pleased to launch the first of our school pop-up shops in collaboration with Oasis in Cobham and Walton Charity at The Bridge in Elmbridge. The families they support were invited to attend, giving children the opportunity to try on items provided by us in bulk and enjoy having the freedom of choice. There was also the opportunity for families to donate items they no longer needed, which were delivered back to us. This partnership is a great example of how working together can benefit so many more families. Walton Charity alone kitted out 77 children in just one day, ensuring they had everything they needed to start school with confidence.
“He really wasn’t looking forward to starting school. Now he has his new shoes, he’s walking proudly with them on.”
Our Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) volunteering programme continues to flourish. Running at near capacity, the feedback from and about our students remains consistently positive. To have the insight from our young volunteers on what should be included in clothing bundles, and what items could be included in care packs and on Santa Stork lists, means that we’re confident the recipients will feel like the contents are relevant and useful for them.
This year, the scheme has achieved:
Two of our students shared their experiences:
We are now in year two of the Spreading Our Wings three-year programme, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. Here’s the highlights of what we’ve been able to achieve to increase our operational capacity and reach areas that were not supported by a baby bank:
We now have 8 regular delivery hubs operating across Surrey and Croydon, enabling us to deliver specifically requested and bulk items closer to referral partners. This reduces travel distances for those further from our warehouse, making it easier for them to access our vital service. With this strong network now in place, one thing was missing – our own set of wheels.
Thanks to the support of Raven Housing Trust, our wish came true. Since June we’ve had our very own Stripey Stork fully-electric van, and it’s been working hard for us ever since. Learn more about this exciting addition to Team Stork in our blog.
Additionally, we’ve launched a new delivery hub in Croydon – an area of focus this year as we formally expanded our support to meet the rising demand. Based at the Woodlands Family Centre, which brings together 24 different services, this hub has proven to be the perfect location for reaching families previously unsupported by a baby bank.
As demand for our service grows, so does the need for space for our volunteers to sort, store and pack referrals. Every inch of our warehouse is put to productive use, and so when an opportunity came up to also take on the warehouse right next door in Reigate it was too good an opportunity to miss. Whilst it was the perfect size and location, this additional warehouse required significant work to make it ready to use. And there was also the not-so-small matter of the rental cost. Our friends at Unum heard about the opportunity and kindly stepped in to support the rental costs for year one. We’re particularly grateful to the Executive Team at Unum for believing in the project, and their support gave us the confidence to sign the lease.
The next challenge was the capital improvements that needed to be made. Cllr Lewanski from Surrey County Council awarded us some of his allowance from Your Fund Surrey and we were able to get some of the essential work started. And then, following a connection made at the Celtic Contractors golf day, we got the opportunity to share our plans with the amazing team at Overbury. The following weeks were like a dream come true as they assembled a team of sub-contractors to undertake what can only be compared to DIY SOS. New insulated roof panels were installed, a new heating system is now operational, the offices were fully refurbished, and we have a kitchen area and new WCs (including a fully accessible WC). New custom work benches and cot storage was installed, and we even got to design a sink for cleaning buggies (nicknamed the ‘sink of dreams’ by the volunteers). It is a Christmas present beyond any other, and we couldn’t be more grateful to all involved.
We will share more about the new space in the new year but suffice to say that we are heading into 2025 feeling ready to help even more families as we continue to ‘Spread our wings’ across Surrey and Croydon.
We continue to be grateful to have the support of so many local businesses, schools and community groups. It would be impossible to name them all, so here’s some of this year’s highlights.
We kickstarted 2024 with the exciting news that we’d been chosen as Unum’s charity partner for the next two years. They’ve enthusiastically supported our seasonal campaigns – A Gift for Mum, Stripes4Stripey and Santa Stork. It’s been lovely to get to know so many of the staff as they’ve been lending a hand on their corporate volunteering days – 131 employees in total. We also enjoyed cheering on Team Unum at Run Reigate. Their dedication and enthusiasm have shone through, and we’ve truly valued working with them. We can’t wait to see what we achieve together next year.
In September, long term partners Celtic Contractors hosted a charity golf day to raise funds for Stripey Stork, which included a successful auction. The event raised over £10,000. We also had the opportunity to share more about our work and make some great connections. Celtic Contractors are incredible partners who support us in so many ways – we couldn’t be more grateful.
It’s always mutually beneficial when we can connect with businesses that think of us when they have excess, end-of-range or sample stock they no longer need. Each donation has played a vital role in helping us create bundles, toiletry packs or gift bags.
A special thank you to the following for their support this year: Etta Loves, MAM Baby, Dr Organic and Procter & Gamble.
Our mascot Stripey often makes an appearance at school assemblies, fairs and fundraising events. We love seeing the enthusiasm and creativity from children, parents and teachers in supporting our work. This year, we’ve welcomed several new schools to our growing list of supporters.
Our friends at Dunottar School in Reigate had a very imaginative way to support us by organising a ‘nappy tower building competition’. Each year group were asked to bring in donations of larger sized nappies which the students then used for this fun challenge. Whilst the year groups were awarded house points, the ultimate winner was Stripey Stork as we then received two huge deliveries of nappies that meant we could meet requests for several months after.
The Reigate Grammar School family of schools (including Reigate St Mary’s, Chinthurst and now Micklefield) continue to support our campaigns and organise collections for us across the year be it warm winter coats, shoes, stationery, Christmas presents or clothes for teens. Reigate Grammar School also run a school volunteering elective, and we enjoy welcoming a minibus full of students each week to help in the warehouse.
St John’s School in Leatherhead organised a winter coat collection as the weather turned colder. Following an assembly we attended; they also collected an amazing assortment of preloved items and new Christmas gifts. A group of sixth-form students filled their minibus, delivering the donations and helping to sort them out when they arrived. Additionally, we were delighted that some year 8 students chose us as their charity for the First Give Competition. We’ve been supporting them with their fundraising and communications, and look forward to seeing how they get on.
King Edward’s Witley generously donated a large quantity of brand-new, unbranded school uniforms that were surplus following an update to their design. We’re excited to see where this partnership takes us next year.
Pupils at Claremont Fan School students achieved first place in their First Give Competition, with an outstanding presentation on how Stripey Stork support teenagers experiencing poverty. Their efforts secured a £1,000 donation, plus an additional £560 which they raised through fundraising initiatives.
As part of the Tesco Stronger Starts Scheme, we were one of three projects at Tesco Gatwick Extra competing for votes through their blue token nominations. This also gave us the chance to win an extra £5,000 at their special Golden Grant event. One lucky winner would draw the golden coin from a bag of 99 blue coins and nominate the charity of their choice. Imagine the joy when our long term, devoted volunteer Ann pulled out the golden coin. Read more about this unforgettable moment in our blog.
As an active member of the Baby Bank Alliance, we were grateful to be part of the Lorraine Show’s Big Baby Bank Appeal – a national campaign in partnership with Morrisons Supermarket. The campaign encouraged the public to donate essential baby and toiletry items at their local Morrisons store, which were distributed to local baby banks. Prior to the launch, we were pleased to welcome four of the Lorraine Show presenters. Their visit was featured to shine a spotlight on baby banks and the growing need for their services.
Thank you to Morrisons in Reigate and Oxted for championing this campaign, and to the local community for showing such generosity. It was such a treat to receive calls from these stores, letting us know that their donation trolleys were overflowing.
Our amazing School Days’ volunteers have been instrumental to the year-round success of this campaign, so we were thrilled when their hard work was recognised with the Volunteer Team Award at this year’s Mayor of Reigate and Banstead Volunteer Awards. Their collaborative spirit and responsiveness has been integral in streamlining operations, and we couldn’t be prouder of the supportive environment they have helped to create.
This year was a double win, with longstanding volunteer Caron also scooping up one of Mayor’s Volunteer Awards. A deserving recognition for her unwavering commitment and for always going the extra mile; regularly helping at multiple volunteering sessions each week and acting as a local collection point in her community and sorting the donations received.
Our Stork Stories bring our work to life, as they’re real-life accounts of the families we’ve been able to help. Here are two examples of how we’ve been able to make a difference this year:
The first story is a simple request we received for a pair of swimming shorts. They were for a little boy who had endured a traumatic journey crossing the English Channel in a small boat with his family in search of refuge. He went overboard and as a result developed an extreme fear of water, so much so that he couldn’t even wash his hands. It’s a Journey of Hope, and we’re humbled to have played a small part in his steps towards recovery.
The second story is about a Mum-to-be facing the challenges of sight loss and the Power of Colour. With no support network in place, she was feeling anxious about how she would manage once her baby was born. A referral was made for brightly coloured baby clothes and other essential items. Since neutral colours are typically the standard for newborn clothing, we put out a call on social media. Someone who saw our post was moved to take action; doing further research and discovering an American retailer selling baby grows with magnetic fastenings. Thanks to their generosity, we were able to make up a bespoke newborn pack tailored to this Mum’s needs. Mum was delighted as it gave her the confidence to dress and change her baby, as well the comfort that she was not alone.
When Julie – a longstanding member of Team Stork – sadly lost her beloved Father, she wanted to honour his memory in a way that reflected his values. Helping to give children the best start in life felt like a fitting tribute. To ensure the funds were used thoughtfully, we established The Reg Carter Fund, dedicated to fulfilling unique and often urgent bespoke requests. Julie was delighted that her Father’s memory will live on through this fund, and we take great pride in updating her on how the money is being spent.
Stripes4Stripey takes place on the third Thursday of every June, when we ask our supporters to proudly wear stripes and make a donation to support our work. It’s one of our favourite days of the year – not just because it raises much-needed funds, but because we love seeing our supporters unite in this wonderfully visual way. Anything stripey goes – from cakes and ice cream, to even stripey dogs. This year we raised £5,327 and you can read all about it in our blog.
We’re grateful for the ongoing support of Reigate Manor, who hosted our annual Stripey4Stripey Quiz, and Hartsfield Manor for choosing to support us through their Family Fun Day. Together, these fantastic events raised an amazing £3,482. It’s always wonderful to be out and about at community events like these, connecting with so many people.
On Sunday 22 September, we returned to Priory Park for Run Reigate – and what a day it was. Our van made its debut appearance, and we had the most Team Stork runners we’d ever had. All their hard work and training paid off, as we raised over £20,000 – a record-breaking amount for us.
This campaign is so important because it shows Mums and female carers the appreciation they deserve — recognition they might not otherwise receive on Mother’s Day. This year, we distributed 580 pampering gift bags, each accompanied by a special card designed by a Reigate College student and handwritten with encouraging messages from our wonderful volunteers. Read more in our blog. You can also discover how receiving one of these gifts brought a much-needed smile to a first-time Mum.
At the time of writing, our Christmas campaign – Santa Stork – is still underway. Once it’s wrapped up, we’ll share the link to our results blog here.
This year, we partnered with Truly Giving to help fulfil those extra-special gift requests and offered a variety of ways for the community to contribute to making up our Christmas gift bundles for children in Surrey and Croydon. We were also excited to launch our new year-round online Stripey Shop. Here, you can purchase gift bundles on behalf of someone else, with the option to acknowledge this gift by sending an e-card or printing a pdf card.
Between 3-10 December, we took part in our first Big Give Christmas Challenge to ‘Give the gift of warm beds this Christmas’. As our core service continues to grow, we’ve seen a significant rise in requests for safe and warm sleep items, so this became the focus of this incredible match funding opportunity.
Our goal was ambitious: to raise £80k – £40k from supporter donations, unlocking an additional £40k we had received as match funding. And we did it! In just three days we hit our target and went on to raise an incredible £94,343 (not including gift aid and platform fees).
We are incredibly grateful to our champion funder, The Julia Rausing Trust, and main pledgers, Powertutors and The Wisley Foundation, who made up the match funding pot. As well as all the supporters, local businesses and organisations that donated and shared our campaign. A special thanks goes to everyone who participated in our campaign video, especially Comfort’s family, who bravely shared their story about how we provided a place for their baby to sleep when they needed it most. Read more about our Big Give campaign in our blog.
Finally, we’d like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your continuous support. We couldn’t achieve any of this without you. Here’s to another impactful year in 2025.
* All figures are to date and will be updated at the end of 2024.
As Christmas morning breaks and the sounds of excited children echo across the country, we
At this time of year, we like to stop and reflect before diving into the
Between 3rd and 10th December 2024, we participated in our first Big Give Christmas Challenge,
When it comes to supporting Stripey Stork, Ben Harris didn’t just go the extra mile
51a Albert Road North
Reigate
Surrey
RH2 9EL
Registered as a charity in England and Wales 1161613
Our focus is the Surrey region and bordering areas. If you are in a different region, see map of UK baby banks to find one near you.
