Together, we can transform early parenthood
Help us raise £10,000 this week to support 200 new families across West Kent
Big Give week has now begun - the biggest fundraising week of our year - and I want to take a moment to reflect on what that can enable.
I feel very lucky to be so embedded in the work we do with families that it's impossible to undervalue the work we do and the transformational impact it can have. From afar, it can look deceptively simple. A hot cup of tea. A place to meet. A place to get advice. But up close, it feels very different.
Up close it feels radical: a community full of humanity, compassion and kindness. Information you can really trust. A place where you can come in your mess and know that someone will sit with you and help you put yourself back together.
And crucially, as we grow up as parents, and as babies, this is a place each one of us can contribute to, building a supportive community for the ones who come after us.
Bringing our community of families together at our mini marathon was such a special moment - a real representation of the families who have come through our service in their first faltering weeks, and how they have grown. Within this group were hundreds of unique stories of early struggles overcome with our support.
Over the next week, we'll be sharing several 'stories of support' - anonymised vignettes that showcase the impact we make on families in the first 1,000 days. We'll start with "Louise" today - the story of a mum in excruciating pain for weeks with feeding.
When I read these stories, I think to myself: this could be any of us.
I'm also struck by the thread of community in these stories - families so often tell us that at Baby Umbrella they suddenly feel less alone. And it is this special community of families who support each other that is at the heart of how we make this world a better one for our children to grow up in.
Our team is single-mindedly committed to building this community. Every day, we show up for families who need our support. And this week - we need you too.
Our Big Give campaign is now live until midday on Tuesday 13th October.
For this week only, any donation made to Baby Umbrella through the Big Give platform will be matched by Big Give. That means a £20 gift becomes £40, a £50 gift becomes £100 — instantly doubling the support we can offer to local families. This year, we aim to raise £5,000 in individual donations - matched to £10,000.
This could support an amazing 200 families in West Kent.
This is one of the most important fundraising moments of our year, a time when our whole community can come together to ensure that no parent or baby in our local area is ever left alone at the time they need support most.
Please show your support for local families by contributing to our campaign. For this week only:
£10 doubled to £20 could pay for brownies for one of our groups
£25 doubled to £50 could pay for a family to receive support from our specialists with feeding, sleep and wellbeing
£45 doubled to £90 could pay for a family to receive intensive emotional support in our Listening Service
£60 doubled to £120 could pay our venue rental for a week
£100 doubled to £200 could pay for a journaling group, or four specialist appointments
If you've read this far - thank you! Do share this with grandparents and your network. Together we can come together to transform early parenthood and make a difference to families right on our doorsteps in West Kent.
With love,
Laura Shtaingos
Baby Umbrella Co-Founder
