A leisure centre in Wythenshawe has teamed up with anti-poverty charity The Brick to support low-income families in Manchester.
The partnership will launch on Baby Week (Monday 8 July-Saturday 13 July) with The Brick distributing free baby packs at Wythenshawe Forum.
Available to anyone visiting the centre throughout the week, the packs will include dummies, bibs, wipes and other essentials.
The leisure centre, which is run by Everyone Active in partnership with Wythenshawe Forum Trust, will also be offering free swimming for parents and babies on Tuesday 9 July and Thursday 11 July.
The joint initiative is set to continue beyond Baby Week, as Wythenshawe Forum expands their weekly ‘Family Friday’ sessions aimed at young families.
In addition to low-cost maternity and child classes, the centre will have a dedicated area for people to help themselves to free essential items – such as toilet roll, washing up liquid and cleaning products.
Free tea and coffee will also be available, offering young families an opportunity to connect with others in the community.
All supplies will be provided by The Brick with support from Amazon UK, and the initiative will run every week from Friday 12 July from 9.30am until 12.30pm.
Commenting on the launch of the partnership, Everyone Active’s contract manager, Phil Bowers, said: “Our core mission here at Wythenshawe Forum is to support every corner of the community, and we know how much the cost-of-living crisis has impacted people locally, particularly young families.
“Inflation has meant that household items which are vital to a baby’s wellbeing – like nappies and wipes – have become unaffordable for lower-income families. But this isn’t acceptable – and that’s why we’re so proud to have partnered with The Brick to help tackle this issue and support young families.”
Currently, there are 4.2million children in poverty in the UK, and Wythenshawe is one of the most deprived areas in Manchester.
Phil continues: “This initiative will enable parents and carers in Wythenshawe to access baby and household essentials for free, all while providing a safe and supportive environment to come with their children.
“A massive thank you to The Brick – who already do such amazing work to tackle child poverty – for teaming up with us. We can’t wait to kickstart the initiative this Baby Week.”
Tom Laverty, Multibank Development Manager at The Brick, said: “We have been amazed at the comprehensive range of post-natal activities and support made available at Everyone Active and are excited to be partnering with them.
“To celebrate Baby Week, The Brick Multibank will be distributing ‘Welcome to the World’ kits which were generously assembled and donated by Amazon. We hope these kits will provide families with relief and joy during such an important chapter of their lives.”