Sheila K and Karen attended the Baby Bank today on the regular Friday slot. They helped unload some donations from cars and sort donations of Christmas gift bags containing new pyjamas, a book and a selection box which will be given out to needy children next month. Sheila helped take the bags of unwanted clothes down to a van for recycling before joining Karen doing the second checks of donated clothing.

Another busy morning at the Baby Bank, The facility had been closed over half term but also had put out a call for clothes for certain ages, so there were lots of donations arriving. One lady had brought in loads of new clothing that she had bought specifically to fill a gap - so kind, and hugely appreciated.
Jane and Sheila were asked to sort through the shoe donations. We were super-picky, rejecting any shoes that were too scuffed, too worn or which had lost their grip. We gave lots of them a good clean too, ready for their new owners

It was lovely to welcome Pooja to the Baby Bank for her very first GoodGym mission. We were stationed in the Uniform Room, checking donations and storing them away in the appropriate boxes, ready for when needed. We were very picky about which items we kept - the recipients of our services deserve good quality items. Pooja proved to be great at this as she had previously volunteered in a charity shop. Between us we worked through several bags of donations, leaving everything in a tidy condition ready for the half term break

Carol, Karen, Jane and Sheila all volunteered at the Baby Bank this morning. After settling into our normal routine of checking clothes and filling up the referral boxes from the overflow bags, the recycling van arrived to collect all of the textiles that had not passed the quality check. Fun was had forming a human chain to move the bin bags from upstairs, rolling them down the stairs and into the van. Sheila left the others to it, to join another volunteer to collect donations from a collection point in the shopping centre in Slough. What was supposed to be donated second hand uniform turned out to be a huge bin full of any old rubbish that people felt like putting on there - including dirty and damaged clothing, old curtains, a frying pan, household bills, drinks cans and even a bag of wet nappies. Yuk! We recovered very little that we could use, and an estate car full of bags for the tip and the textiles recyclers. Live and learn!

4 GoodGymers helped out at the Baby Bank this morning, and were asked to do the clothes sorting upstairs. It was great to welcome Jane back for her second session, and she joined Carol and Karen doing a second check on clothes that already been through a first check by a corporate team. Meanwhile Sheila helped put together Referral packs. One was for a mother and her 3 daughters who had received clothes only last week. Unfortunately the flat below theirs had caught fire and they lost all of their possessions too. So tragic - they were left with only the clothes they were wearing. Some of the age groups we are short of clothes for anyway, but we put together what we could for them.

Sheila was asked to be on door duty at the Baby Bank this morning. each ring of the bell could be someone with clothes or toy donations. Or someone offering a pre-loved buggy or cot. All had to be checked for safety, age and cleanliness before being accepted. Or it could be a social worker collecting referrals for a local family. In-between calls, I added nappies, toiletries and other gear requested to referrals. A busy, busy morning