FAQ

Our monthly wish list is a handy guide of what we need right now. Items on this list are either low in stock or in high demand, which means they can be quickly rehomed. If you have items to donate that are not on our current wish list, please email or call to find out if we can receive or not.

If you can hold onto the items for the time being, then please do and keep an eye on our wish list as just because we’re not accepting items one month doesn’t mean that we won’t be the next.

We can’t rehome any used mattresses due to safety concerns. It’s widely recommended that the safest option is to have a new mattress for each baby. We use grants and funding to ensure that every Moses basket we give out comes with a new mattress to ensure a comfortable and safe night’s sleep.

See Wigan Council’s website for a list of community recycling centres in Wigan Borough.

We are unable to guarantee the safety and condition of a used car seat, and our insurers prohibit us from rehoming them. This is because we can’t prove with absolute certainty that a car seat hasn’t been involved in an accident and is therefore completely safe to use.

Safety regulations are frequently updated meaning older models may not be safe. In addition, harnesses and buckles can deteriorate over time.

For further information, please see this useful website about child car seats.

See Wigan Council’s website for a list of community recycling centres in Wigan Borough.

We don’t have space in our unit to store large items like this. At the same time, many of the families we support don’t have the space for larger items of furniture.

All electronic equipment, such as baby monitors and sterilisers, needs to be safety (PAT) tested by someone with the right knowledge and experience. We don’t have this facility and the capability in-house. In addition, items like baby monitors start to deteriorate in performance after prolonged use and we don’t want to take a risk on items which families rely on. If electrical items are unused, and still in a sealed box then we can accept.

For hygiene reasons, we can only pass on new breast pumps which are sealed and therefore we know are sterile. We don’t have the equipment to sterilise them at the unit or the knowledge to be able to guarantee this has been done properly. Newborn babies can be susceptible to bacteria, so to ensure they have the best start in life we only accept new breast pumps.

There is something special about knitted clothes and blankets for babies and we appreciate the care that goes into knitting keepsakes for babies. To ensure they are safe to be worn, we cannot accept any knitted clothes with ribbons, string, or embellishments, and we ask that any buttons are securely stitched. Little mouths like to seek these out and can therefore be a serious choking hazard. It is helpful if you highlight the sizing of any knitted clothing, and essential that you attach labels detailing the type of wool used in case of any allergies.  

All toys that we pass on are safety checked first by our team of volunteers. One of these important checks is to ensure they carry the CE/UKCA mark. This is the most basic legal requirement that all toys must conform to in the UK, including those which have been donated to charity or those which have been handmade. Without this, we are unable to accept or give such items out.

Our focus is on essential items for babies. Now, we simply don’t have the storage space to stock items outside of this scope.

You could always donate to a local charity shop or clothes bank.