Little Village makes a big difference to families with babies and young children living in poverty across London. Via our network of baby banks we pass on loved goods from one family to another – clothes, toys and equipment – so that many more babies and young children have the essential things they need to thrive.
Families either visit a Little Village hub, or items are packed with care and delivered to their home. But it doesn’t stop there. We also connect families into a wider network of support, helping them to build and extend their own ‘village’. And we raise our voices for change; sharing the stark realities of too many children’s lives in London.
Thanks to the generous donations of loved items, precious time and money, since we launched in 2016, Little Village has supported more than 32,000 children.
Our values of love, solidarity, thriving and sustainability are at the heart of everything we do.
Little Village is operating in an environment of significant and frightening need from families with babies and young children. Poverty in our capital is both growing and deepening. Essentials are becoming unaffordable for more and more families, and many are facing complete destitution.
Little Village has grown to be one of the largest ‘baby banks’ in the UK, supporting more than 32,000 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.
Read our latest impact report to 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?
Our Baby Bank Helpers support families during their visit to Little Village. At one of our busy sites, they help families choose items their children will love. Volunteers also help to sort, check and prepare gifts of pre-loved donations.
Our Pick and Pack team are based in one of our lively baby banks. Together we sort, check, and prepare pre-loved items for children. Volunteers create high-quality bundles of toys, clothes, and equipment to gift to families.
