Gyle announces exclusive partnership with Baby Bank (Pregnancy Counselling & Care Scotland)
Gyle shopping centre has today announced a unique partnership with Baby Bank (Pregnancy Counselling & Care Scotland) as charity partner of the year where the charity will benefit from a space within the major shopping centre.
The charity based in Edinburgh helps over 356 families per year. The Baby Bank provides clothes and equipment (up to age 2) to families in financial difficulty. To access the baby bank, a healthcare professional must complete an initial referral. Families can then self-refer until the child is 2 years old. Recently the Baby Bank suffered a terrible flood that left them without premises and the future of the charity in doubt. Upon hearing the challenges faced, kind hearted staff at Gyle shopping centre decided to see how they could help. The end result is that the Baby Bank has now taken up residence opposite JD Sports. They will be open 3 days per week to start with and hope to open 5 days a week to support local families and take collections from the public. There are also plans to set up counselling session in Gyle’s community area (Space To Be).
Gyle Centre manager Caroline MacQueen comments: “We were saddened to hear the news about the flooding that had impacted the Baby Bank so badly. As part of our commitment to support the local community we wanted to help in the best way that we could, and this was giving them the space they needed to continue the important work that they do. We know that so many local families rely on the Baby Bank, and it is an important lifeline to so many. This extends our work we already do with many local charities and via our community hub.”
Sarah Brown from the Baby Bank comments: (We are so grateful and can totally see the difference in donations since arriving at Gyle. The space makes it much easier to sort and store items. The ease of deliveries and pick-ups. The plans of events for the year with Gyle looks amazing.)
Baby Bank is Open 8am – 4pm Monday – Wednesday. They currently need items including Clothing: Tiny Baby to 24 months, slings, bottles, sterilisers and more. The public are urged to pop along to Gyle Shopping Centre with any items if they have to support the charity.
Contact Liz Wood for more information on 0131 539 8383 or at Liz.wood@gyle-ltd.co.uk
