One less thing to worry about; a safe place to sleep

She’s such a lovely mum. She’s facing so many challenges at the moment, but she really wants to do the best for her children. She talks about her aspirations and wanting to go to college. She’s so positive.

When this young mum first started attending sessions at the YMCA, she barely spoke. She would sit quietly with her two children – a four-year-old boy and her baby daughter, who was just a few months old at the time. Her attendance was sporadic and those supporting her knew that anxiety and low confidence made it difficult for her to engage.

But slowly, things changed.

She began coming every week. A relationship was built. Trust grew. And eventually, she felt safe enough to share what life was really like for her family.

They had been living in emergency accommodation, a one-bedroom flat for the past 4 years. Money was extremely tight. Although her partner was working, she was on maternity leave and couldn’t afford to return to her job because of unaffordable childcare costs.

There was little space, little money and very little opportunity for her children to get out and about. Her weekly session at the YMCA was one of the only activities they attended.

And then there was everything else that was weighing her down.

A grandparent had recently become seriously ill, adding another layer of worry to an already incredibly difficult situation. Her son was particularly close to his grandparent and was struggling with the impact of everything that was happening around him.

Yet despite all of this, mum was determined to do the best she could for her children.

She talked about her hopes for the future. She wanted to go to college. She was trying to build her confidence and create a better life for her family. She was young, vulnerable and facing circumstances no parent should have to navigate – but she was also incredibly resilient.

Then, during one of her sessions, she quietly asked if there was any way she could get a few things for her baby daughter who had outgrown her clothes and didn’t have any suitable summer clothing. What she didn’t mention was that she had another worry that was much more urgent.

Her eight-month-old daughter had been sleeping in her Next2Me crib since she was born, but she had now grown too big for it and it was no longer a safe option. With very little space in their one-bedroom home, there was nowhere to put a full-sized cot, leaving mum worried about how she could provide her baby with a safe place to sleep.

There were very few options available to her. She could have continued using a sleeping space her baby had already outgrown. She could have considered sharing a bed with her baby or have her sleep alongside her four-year-old brother. None of these were safe solutions, but when you’re living in a one-bedroom flat with very little money and no room to spare, parents can be left facing impossible choices.

Over time, mum gradually opened up to Victoria, who worked at the YMCA, and begun to trust her enough to talk about what was really happening at home. This relationship meant Victoria was able to understand what the family needed. Victoria told us:

When mum confided in me that her baby had outgrown her Next2Me, I could see that she was really worried. They were living in such a small space, and she didn’t have the money or room for a full-size cot. She just wanted to make sure her little girl had somewhere safe to sleep and I knew we needed to see if there was a way we could help.

Victoria reached out to us and we were able to provide a space-saving cot that would fit into their small home, along with clean bedding. We also gathered a summer clothing pack for the baby.

For mum, it meant something incredibly important – her baby could sleep safely.

But the support was about more than the items.

It was about a mum who had been quietly trying to hold everything together, having someone she trusted enough to talk to honestly about what her family needed.

And it was about the referral partner knowing that when a family needs a helping hand, there is somewhere to turn for support. Victoria told us:

It took time for mum to feel comfortable enough to talk about what was really going on. When she first started coming to the sessions, I don’t think she would have asked for help or told me about the challenges she was facing. We just kept building that relationship, listening to her and making sure she knew there was no judgement. Eventually, she felt able to open up and that meant we could understand what her family needed and connect her with the right support.

For Stripey Stork, this is what our work is about. A cot isn’t simply a cot, it’s a safe place for a baby to sleep and a source of reassurance for a parent doing everything they can in exceptionally difficult circumstances.

This mum and her children will continue to receive support as they need it, as her baby grows, as her little boy gets ready for school and, hopefully, as mum takes the next steps towards the future she wants for her family.

For now, her baby has somewhere safe to sleep and mum has one less thing to worry about.

If you have a cot, Next2Me or Moses basket that your family has finished with, please consider donating it to us. Your pre-loved item could give another baby a safe place to sleep and give their parent one less thing to worry about.

Please check our What to Donate page before bringing your item to make sure it meets our current safety and quality standards. Every safe, good-quality donation has the potential to make a real difference to a family.