Tag Archive for: baby banks

Amazing Deals for Struggling Families!

There’s no doubt that things are getting tough for families right now. However today, in our antidote to inflation, tax increases and the recent cost-of-living crisis, we bring families news of some absolutely brilliant deals, offers and ways that families can save money. What we’re talking about today may improve quality of life a little — even with something as simple as being able to afford a meal out with the kids. We were astounded by some of these discoveries, so we hope they are good news for you too.

Families: this is for you!

A few examples will help to introduce the type of money-saving offers and deals that we’ve unearthed for you in today’s post:

Did You Know?

  • You can eat out for just £1 per meal if you know where to go!
  • You can eat at home all week for just £1 per meal if you know the right recipe and supplier!
  • One famous food retailer offers interest-free shopping loans for struggling families!
  • There are lots of different Government schemes that give eligible families free childcare!

It’s amazing what’s available if you know where to look, and that’s exactly what we tell you today. We hope you find it useful.

Feeling the Pinch? Check Out The Great Deals & Offers We’ve Discovered!

Kids Under 16? Treat them to a Café Meal for just £1 Each — or Even Less!

Many of the large supermarkets are doing their bit to help struggling families, and Asda is one such example that caught our eye. They launched a £1 café offer called Kids Eat for £1 during the summer holidays and this has now been extended to the end of 2022. This seemed like a bargain to us. A list of participating ASDA cafés can be found here.

Morrison’s have a comparable deal where children under 16 can eat totally free of charge at a Morrison’s in-store café when the accompanying adult is having an adult meal costing £4.99 or more. Learn more about kids eating free at Morrison’s Cafés here. By the way, the same page also describes how Morrison’s have reduced the pricing of over half their hot food menu in their in-store cafés. It all helps!

Grandparents - Over 60s Can Eat & Drink Out for Just £1

Asda have also launched a Winter Warmers campaign aimed to help their older customers who visit their in-store cafés. Those 60 and above can enjoy soup and a roll plus unlimited cuppas for just £1 during November and December 2022. That’s a great opportunity for grandparents who are looking after little ones, although applies with or without children accompanying! Learn more about the Winter Warmers campaign for over-60s here.

Cheap But Tasty Meals at Home

Some of the supermarkets are making it easier for families to eat inexpensively at home. Sainsbury’s, for example, are currently publicising a range of recipes that will feed a family of four for no more than a fiver — that’s just £1.25 per meal. They list step-by-step instructions, list ingredients and even make it dead simple to add them to your online shopping cart. Check out some of their affordable meal suggestions here.

The BBC Food website also has a large selection of budget recipes for you to try. It’s a fantastic resource and they have gone to considerable effort to suit all tastes, including meat, vegetarian and vegan dishes. There are lots of recipes to make for just £1 per portion and ways to plan a week’s worth of meals for just £1 each. The page also gives advice on thrifty store cupboard ingredients, using air fryers and slow cookers,  and how to make food products last longer. Check out their website for some genuinely good ideas and inspiration for inexpensive eating at home.

Hot Deals on Frozen Food — Including an Interest-Free Loan!

It’s common knowledge that frozen food can work out cheaper and the retail chain Iceland are at the forefront of that niche in the UK. They are also very attuned to struggling families at the moment and so are offering several great ways to save money and make family food more affordable. For example, they have launched a major initiative called ‘Doing it Right’ and this includes a whole raft of beneficial offerings for struggling families. Many products can purchased for £1 in a ‘price freeze’, for example. It also includes discounts of over 60s on Tuesdays, money-saving 7-Day Deals, an exclusive Bonus Card scheme to save money on your favourite products and much more. A synopsis of all the main offers is available here.

A notable and innovative service was also introduced by Iceland in August 2022 to help families struggling to afford food (often those who relied on food banks and even loan shark loans). ‘The Iceland Food Club’ allows families to spread the cost of food through micro-loans between £25 and £100, using a pre-loaded card that allows them to spend the interest-free loan at Iceland food stores. Repayment is made at £10 per week and, as we say, the loan is interest-free. Well done Iceland! Learn more about the scheme here.

N.B. this information is given in good faith and does not constitute financial advice. Readers will need to do their own research.

Accumulate £££s to Redeem Against Your Shopping Bill

By the way, Asda also offers a “Rewards” scheme where you accumulate pounds (not points!) when you shop there. When accumulated, these can be redeemed against your shopping, thereby reducing your bill in a really tangible way. We know people who use this scheme and it seems to be a decent one so far as we can tell. Check out the Asda Rewards scheme here.

Save Money on Energy Costs

Octopus Energy has doubled its OctoAssist Fund, for customers struggling with their bills. They are offering help via direct financial support, standing charge waivers and energy saving support. Check out if you are eligible for any help and read their saver suggestions here.

Meanwhile, Utilita have teamed up with Iceland to help you Shop Smart and Cook Savvy, explaining ways to save you money. This includes advice on ways to reduce your energy bill through use, for example, of air fryers and energy-saving measures. (Click the bold links for more information). Via their app “My Utilita” you can also take control of your energy use, use pay-as-you-go and apply for emergency credit. Learn more here.

Baby Banks — Free Stuff for Families

Don’t forget to check out our Baby Banks post from May 2022 too (see the link below). There, we explained how struggling parents can get a huge variety of free things for their babies and children. Everything from baby food and nappies to high chairs and buggies is available, totally free of charge. Indeed, Baby Banks are a complete godsend for many struggling families. They’re also somewhere you can donate your pre-loved items that you’ve finished with, to help another family. Learn more about Baby Banks, including some near Edgbaston and Birmingham, here.

Childcare Funding Help

Childcare funding is an option we can help with directly at Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery. Subject to eligibility, we support all the key Government schemes for free childcare funding including free childcare for 2-year-olds, free childcare funding for 3 & 4-year-olds, student childcare grants, tax-free childcare, childcare vouchers & more. Feel free to ask our staff for advice on any of these and we’ll be happy to help. If you are outside our area (Edgbaston, Birmingham), the bold links to free childcare funding articles may still be useful to give you an overview of the schemes, so please feel free to click through, bookmark and share.

A Funded Childcare Place for Your Child at Leaps & Bounds Nursery, Edgbaston, Birmingham

Leaps & Bounds nursery & pre-school is in Edgbaston, Birmingham B16, near Harborne, Ladywood, Bearwood & Smethwick

Leaps & Bounds Nursery is rated as a Good Provider of childcare by Ofsted. Please get in touch with us if you are eligible for any of the free childcare funding options and require a nursery or pre-school place for your child at Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery. We are a high quality nursery and pre-school in Edgbaston, Birmingham, near Harborne, Ladywood, Bearwood and Smethwick. Please choose one of the options below to register for a nursery place, book a guided tour or ask a question. We look forward to hearing from you.

IMPORTANT: The above seemed amazing to us, but please ensure you check the websites and suppliers direct, as some things are time-limited and/or may be subject to change. Also, we have no affiliation with, or control over, the 3rd party offerings mentioned. As such, we cannot guarantee the details but, to the best of our knowledge, we believe they were correct at time of writing (Nov 2022).

Baby Banks - Help for Struggling Families

Some baby banks even supply pre-loved toys to children of struggling familiesWith the fall-out from ongoing energy increases and costs rapidly rising for food and products, many families are struggling to afford new things for their children. However, real help is at hand in the form of ‘baby banks’. Baby banks are primarily, although not always exclusively, aimed at those who are struggling financially and allow families to obtain anything from baby food to buggies, absolutely free of charge. It’s a little bit like the concept of food banks, when you think about it, and indeed some food banks are now also joining forces with baby banks to supply other essential items to families.

What Baby Banks Can Supply to Families

The growing number of baby banks offers all kinds of free items for families with babies and young children, usually aged up to five although sometimes also significantly older. Items that families can obtain, without charge, include:

  • Nappies and baby wipes
  • Clothes for babies and chiildren
  • Strollers, buggies and prams
  • Moses baskets and small cots
  • Bedding (not for cots)
  • High chairs and floor seats
  • Towels
  • Toys & play equipment
  • Baby food, snacks and formula milk
  • Toiletries for babies and mothers
  • Baby carriers
  • Some car seats (conditions apply)
  • Bibs
  • Clean bottles and sterilisers

N.B. not every baby bank offers all of the above but we’ve scouted around to get an overall picture of the possibilities.

Donate Your Child’s Pre-Loved Items

If you have baby items, pre-loved toys, good-as-new clothes or equipment for little ones that you no longer need, help others by donating them to your nearest baby bank.If you have baby items, pre-loved toys, good-as-new clothes or equipment for little ones that you no longer need, you can help others in need by donating them to your nearest baby bank. As well as helping families in your local community, baby banks are an excellent way to make space and to recycle items that are too good to discard. It’s a win for the planet too!

Baby Banks in Birmingham

The good news for families local to Leaps & Bounds Day Nursery is that there are several baby banks in Birmingham, including some that are just a stone’s throw from Edgbaston. That’s great news if you are either in need of something for your little one(s) or if you have spare items that you can donate to help others.

Baby Banks Around the UK

Baby banks supply an enormous array of items including pre-loved strollers, Moses baskets and high-chairs.Some baby banks are independent while others are run by baby bank networks including Growbaby International, Baby Basics and NCT Baby Bundles. The growth of such groups and independents means that there are now baby banks throughout the UK. The list is growing — and there are now even some abroad. Many state that they will help families irrespective of income, background or faith.

Find Your Nearest Baby Bank

You can find your nearest baby bank by navigating the interactive map of UK baby banks below. If you click the little rectangle in the top right corner, you can make the entire map full screen. That will then show the key to the marker symbols too (the square icon in the top left-hand corner below will also toggle the key on and off if you don’t choose the full screen option). You can enlarge/reduce the zoom level using the + or – symbols in the bottom left-hand corner, or by using your mouse wheel. Drag the map around to move to the location you require.

Points to Note

Clean bottles & sterilisers can also be supplied by, or donated to, baby banks.Points to bear in mind are that some baby banks and similar supply items for children aged 0 to 5 while others go right up to the age of 16, so check that any baby bank you have in mind is suitable for the age of your particular child(ren), or equipment if donating. Many work on an appointment-only basis and some are only open on particular days of the week. Therefore, it’s important to initially make contact with them rather than attempting to turn up, out of the blue.

Baby Bank Referrals

While some baby banks accept enquiries from families directly, many only supply items after a referral from a family support worker or agency, social worker, health visitor, nurse, teacher, women’s refuge, food bank or family centre. So, if you are in need of anything from a baby bank, it’s often best to get a referral. Ask one of the professionals listed in this paragraph, or check individual rules once you have identified your local baby bank(s) and have clicked through to their contact page(s) — see the interactive map above.

If you found this guide to baby banks and the resources they offer useful, please feel free to share it on social media and to bookmark it in your browser.

Leaps & Bounds: A High Quality Nursery & Pre-school in Edgbaston, Birmingham

Looking for the best nursery or pre-school in Edgbaston, Birmingham, Harborne, Ladywood, Bearwood or Smethwick?Leaps & Bounds nursery & pre-school is in Edgbaston, Birmingham B16, near Harborne, Ladywood, Bearwood & Smethwick

Leaps & Bounds Nursery is rated as a Good Provider of childcare by Ofsted.Leaps & Bounds is a high quality nursery and pre-school in Edgbaston, Birmingham offering a wonderful weekday childcare service for babies and children under five. We’re very near to Harborne, Ladywood, Bearwood and Smethwick too, so might also suit you if you live or work in those locations. Why not arrange an appointment to bring your baby or child along to tour the nursery, so you can both experience it in the flesh and ask any questions that you might have. Alternatively, simply apply for a place for your baby or under-five child, or send us a message. Please choose a button below to get started: