We’re a village of support and solidarity for families with children under five in London. We offer preloved kids’ clothes, baby essentials and links to key services to families in challenging circumstances such as homelessness, unemployment, low wages or domestic abuse. And we campaign alongside parents to change the system that creates those challenges.
Little Village is like a foodbank, but for clothes, toys and equipment for babies and children up to the age of 5. We’ve grown to be one of the largest ‘baby banks’ in the UK, supporting over 25,000 children since we launched in 2016. Families are referred to us via a network of over 2,000 professionals such as midwives and social workers. Little Village’s vision is that every child in the capital has the essential items they need to thrive.
We’ve grown to be one of the largest ‘baby banks’ in the UK, supporting over 25,000 children since we launched in 2016. Families are referred to us via a network of over 2,000 professionals such as midwives and social workers.
We supported 7000 children in 2020, the highest number we have ever supported in one year.
In April 2022, Little Village released a new report, supported by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation with updated data on family poverty in the UK. Statistics show that approximately half of the 4.2 million children living in poverty live in a household with an under 5 and 1.3 million of those 4.2 million children are themselves under the age of 5. Find out more here
This year we released our first impact report which outlines our work in 2021. Find out more here
You may be interested in giving your time and bringing and developing your skills and experience by volunteering at Little Village if you are passionate about tackling child poverty and motivated by Little Village’s values of Love, Solidarity, Thriving and Sustainability and believe in our model of bringing families together to help each other.
No formal skills are required and you will receive a full induction and any necessary training.
If you are looking to develop or use any of the following skills then you may enjoy one of our volunteering opportunities:
- Teamworking
- Communication
- Organisation
- Eye for detail
- Driving (not for all roles, but we do have specific driving opportunities for those who enjoy that!)
Although we’re called a ‘baby bank’, our model is about community as much as redistribution. When possible, families are invited in to choose the items they'd like for their children, enabling us to offer a warm welcome and additional support e.g. advice services.
Nearly all the parents we support are women. Many are struggling with loneliness and low confidence. User feedback and an independent evaluation shows how our community-based, volunteer-led approach, rooted in our values of love, solidarity, sustainability and thriving has (a) given women back agency, reducing parental anxiety and increasing resilience (b) encouraged them to return as volunteers to help others and (c) built new social networks across class and cultural divides.
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Our Opportunities
Do you enjoy driving and exploring your local area? Would you like to use your spare time out on the road, meeting new people, and making a real and immediate difference to the lives of young children in your community?
Joining one of our friendly site teams, you will be sorting and packing items for families supported by the Little Village and your contribution will make an immediate difference to the lives of families experiencing hardship in London.
