An expansion of support for newborn babies will see up to 10,000 ‘baby bundles’ handed to families in Greater Manchester each year. The initiative, announced by Mayor Bev Craig, aims to ensure every family in need receives essential items for their baby's first months.
Expansion to end postcode lottery
Currently, around 1,500 bundles are distributed annually to new parents after referral from the NHS or local authorities. Ms Craig said the expansion to 10,000 bundles was designed to ‘end the post code lottery’ across the region, adding that she wanted ‘everyone in need to be able to get one’.
The baby bundle, contained inside a Moses basket designed for safe sleeping, includes a brand new mattress, seasonal clothes for the baby's first three months, toiletries for both mother and baby, and some soft toys and books.
Support for families in need
Speaking during a visit to Leigh Family Hub, Ms Craig said: “We have a Moses basket full of everything a mum and dad will need in baby’s first couple of months. Part of this is recognising that sadly for too many people across Greater Manchester not every child is getting the best start in life.”
She highlighted financial pressures and temporary accommodation as challenges families face. “It’s about a helping hand, not a give-away but a gateway to the whole support system that’s out there,” she added.
Elsie Wakefield, who runs the Baby Bank in Leigh, said: “The bundles provide a safe place for sleep with the Moses basket and a brand new mattress. They have all the essential toiletries that mum and baby will need and clothing right through from birth until three months.”
Long-term benefits
Ms Craig emphasised the importance of early intervention. “If we don’t get those first 1,000 days right of a young child’s life then too often the statistics say their life chances have already been determined,” she said. “Let’s get in early, offer support for mums and dads and get that young baby off to the best start and that will reap dividends during the course of their life, in school, in college and in their place of work.”
