A simple question during a visit to Family Matters Baby Bank at Granby Trading Estate sparked a practical donation that will help 40 local families facing hardship access safe sleeping essentials for their children.
When Mickey Jones, Chief Executive of DJ Property, called in to see the volunteer-run service in action, he noticed a number of donated cots and cot beds stacked and ready to go. The team explained that although community donations keep the Baby Bank well stocked, one essential item is consistently missing: new mattresses.
While many baby items can be cleaned, checked and passed on, the Baby Bank cannot accept second hand mattresses because it cannot guarantee their hygiene or condition, and they do not meet national safer sleep advice.
As a result, the charity has to fundraise for new mattresses, even when it already has cots available.
DJ Property has now stepped in with a donation of 20 cot and 20 cot bed mattresses, worth £1,000, allowing Family Matters to pair new mattresses with the donated items already waiting in its warehouse. This creates completely safe sleeping sets ready for immediate issue to the families who need them.
Family Matters Baby Bank provides free essential items for children aged 0 to 5, all donated by local families and organised by a team of volunteers. The service supplies cots, prams, clothes, shoes, school uniforms, toys and other everyday baby essentials. It currently supports around 30 families each week and has helped more than 2,500 families since opening in 2019.
The donation comes against a backdrop of significant need locally. Research has reported that 30 per cent of under-16s in Weymouth and Portland were living in poverty, broadly equating to around one in three children.
To help keep pace, Family Matters has recently expanded its unit at Granby Trading Estate, with the support of DJ Property, creating more space to sort and accommodate donations as demand continues.
Debbie Sandels, Founder member of Family Matters, said: “Our community is incredibly generous, and most of what we provide comes from local donations. The difficulty is mattresses. We cannot accept them second-hand, so we have to raise funds to buy them new. This donation from DJ Property means we can send out a total of 40 cots and cot beds as complete sets, without families having to source a mattress themselves.”
Mickey Jones, Chief Executive of DJ Property, said: “Family Matters is a lifeline for many families in our area. This donation fills a practical gap, helping the Baby Bank provide safe sleeping essentials in a way that meets the standards required for hygiene and suitability. We are also pleased to have supported the charity’s expansion at Granby Trading Estate, providing more space to manage donations efficiently and respond to local need.
“In recent years, we have supported Weymouth Foodbank and, as its profile grew, donations increased, and the charity took off locally, helping more people in crisis. We are in the same position again with Family Matters. If you or your business wants to give to a great cause, I can thoroughly recommend this charity. Like Weymouth Foodbank, it is volunteer run with very low overheads, so nearly every pound donated makes a difference. South Dorset needs charities like these, and I would encourage anyone who can to support them.”
If you need help or know of a family in hardship who does, please visit the Family Matters Baby Bank website to access help: www.familymattersbabybank.org. Donations are always gratefully received and details on how to donate are available online.
