Donate items to us

Thank you for considering donating items to our baby and clothes banks. Beleive us we understand the urge to declutter, to get rid of unwanted things out of the house but we would very politely ask you to consider the following before donating to us:

Please check the items we do and do not accept on the list below.
For each item please consider: Would you offer this to a beloved godchild, grandchild, niece or nephew as it is, if not then please don’t give it to our beloved minis.
If your item ‘just needs a good wash’ or ‘it just needs mending’ please note that neither our mums nor our organisation has the capacity to do this. If you do, please do this before you donate the item.
When you have sorted your donations – do another sort, pick the top 25% and give that to us. The rest please donate to another organisation which is better placed to deal with quantities of materials for recycling rather than use. For example we love TRAID.

Please be considerate when donating.
During lockdown it took us 3 days and 40 bin bags to get rid of ‘donations’ that were not of a standard that we felt we could pass on.
Please, just do a final check and ask yourself, ‘would I gift this to my best friend’s child?’.

We would very much welcome

Nappies (especially sizes 6 and 7)
Warm, as-new coats for mums or children
AS NEW clothes for children especially 2 to 5 years.
Practical AS NEW clothes for women (especially maternity clothes).
AS NEW pregnancy pillows.
New gloves, scarves, hats
New toothpaste, soap, shower gels, toiletries
New socks
Buggies – clean and working please. (especially Maclaran-style or double buggies).

We are unable to accept:

Furniture (no cots, travel cots, bedside cots, chairs, beds, sofas, tables please).
Electrical items (for insurance and safety we cannot take anything that plugs in!)
Battery operated items.
Bedding/towels/linens
Men’s clothes
Toys (of any kind thank you)
Ride-ons/bouncers/etc.
Baby baths/steps/bath seats
Second hand books (we are lucky enough to get lots of new books to give our minis)
Formula, bottles, dummies
Second hand underwear
Second hand shoes (we are worried about our minis precious feet).
Second hand baby clothes for under 6 months. (we are over-run by baby clothes at the moment and have nowhere to store them).

DONATION DROP OFF:
Forest Lane Lodge,
Forest Lane Park,
Magpie Close,
E7 0DF

TERM TIMES Mondays and Wednesdays 10 til 2pm

Please don’t drop off at Kay Rowe Nursery any more.

Bank Examples	Forms of Identity Needed
Metro Bank	Asylum seekers can apply for a cash account and/or savings account. This requires an Application Registration Card (ARC), proof of address and confirmation of asylum seekers support allowance or other income.
Lloyds	You can apply for a Classic Current account with a BRP, ARC or a Home Office Immigration Status document. Refugees and asylum seekers can apply for a ‘Classic current account’. This includes an arranged overdraft. Fees are charged if you go into your overdraft.
Nationwide	You can get a ‘FlexBasic account’ (basic bank account) and an ‘Instant Access saver’ (basic savings account). They accept BRP, ARC and Home Office Immigration Status document.
HSBC	You cannot open a bank account if you are from outside the EU. They accept BRP but NOT ARC. They accept BRP but NOT ARC.
Monzo	Refugees can open a current account with a BRP and their UK address. However, Monzo do not accept ARC. You can get your benefits or salary (depending on your employer) paid into your Monzo account 1 day earlier.

Saves Time	Make sure there is enough money in your account when the direct debit or standing order will be taken. If there is not enough money, you could be charged extra by the bank.
You don’t need to remember to pay a bill	You must remember to cancel standing orders when you want to stop paying someone regularly.
You will get money back for any incorrect payments for direct debits only.	Sometimes you might think you are setting up a direct debit, but it is actually a recurring payment or continuous payment authority (CPA). Be careful if companies ask for the long number on your card instead of your sort code and account number. This will mean they can take money whenever they think they are owed.
You can cancel a direct debit or a standing order at any time through your online banking account or by contacting your bank.


Magpie Mums say: “Always use direct debits if you can, so you don’t forget to pay and are charged. If you can’t use direct debits, make sure you put the dates when you’re supposed to make payments in your phone calendar.” “I’m used to it. It’s easy on the phone. I try to avoid going to banks.”

Account number	A 10-12 digit number given to your bank account. You can find your account number on your online banking page or on bank statements.
Card Number	A 16-digit number with that is found on the front of your debit/credit card.
Credit Card	A credit card doesn’t spend your money. It spends the bank’s money and you must pay it back. This means you can spend more than is in your account, but you might be charged extra for doing this, especially if you are late paying the bank.
Credit Score	A number that records how likely you are to repay your debts. High credit scores are better as it means financial products such as overdrafts and credit cards cost less.
Debit Card	A debit card is a card that lets you take out money from ATMs and make payments in stores or online from your account.
Financial Service Compensation Scheme (FSCS)	An organisation set up to protect the money you put in bank accounts. If you have a current or basic account, the FSCS will pay you up to £85,000 if your bank goes bankrupt.
National Insurance Number (NI)	The number makes sure that the National Insurance contributions and tax you pay are properly recorded on your account. It also acts as a reference number for the whole social security system.
Overdraft	An amount of money you can spend even when you have no money in your account. It is like a small loan from your bank. Overdrafts are often not free, so you need to be very aware what the costs are before using one.
Personal Identification Number (PIN)	A PIN is a 4-digit number that is given to you with a debit card. This is used when taking out money from ATMs or when making in-store purchases with your card. Never share your PIN with anyone as it could be used to commit fraud.
Security Code	A 3-4 digit number found on the back of your debit/credit card in the signature section. This number will be required for nearly all online payments. The code provides an extra layer of security to safeguard you from fraud.
Sort Code	A 6-digit number that is used to identify your bank. You can find your sort code on your online banking platform, on bank statements or on your debit card.
Standing Order	When a fixed amount that you choose is paid from your account to another person or organisation. This is different from the direct debit as the amount that is paid is the same each time.

Saves time – you don’t need to remember to pay a bill.	You need to make sure there is enough money in your account when the direct debit or standing order will be taken. If there is not enough money, you could be charged extra by the bank.
You will get money back for any incorrect payments for direct debits only.	You must remember to cancel standing orders when you want to stop paying someone regularly.
You can cancel a direct debit or a standing order at any time through your online banking account or by contacting your bank.	Sometimes you might think you are setting up a direct debit, but it is actually a recurring payment or continuous payment authority (CPA). Be careful if companies ask for the long number on your card instead of your sort code and account number. This will mean they can take money whenever they think they are owed.

Donate items to us

Please be considerate when donating. During lockdown it took us 3 days and 40 bin bags to get rid of ‘donations’ that were not of a standard that we felt we could pass on.Please, just do a final check and ask yourself, ‘would I gift this to my best friend’s child?’.

We would very much welcome

We are unable to accept:

Still unsure? Check with us before you drop off your donation

Please be considerate when donating.
During lockdown it took us 3 days and 40 bin bags to get rid of ‘donations’ that were not of a standard that we felt we could pass on.
Please, just do a final check and ask yourself, ‘would I gift this to my best friend’s child?’.