Many families benefit from 'Beds for Babies' scheme

The Beds for Babies project was launched to help those in poverty by South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard and more than 1,900 children have been helped since then.

Families have benefitted from deliveries of more than 3,800 items, including beds, mattresses, Moses baskets, cots, and bedding bundles.

The project has been financed with £2.2m from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, designed to address health inequalities, improve early-years development and take some pressure off public services.

It is one plank of a wider strategy to make the county the healthiest region in the country.

In Swinton and Mexborough, the work has gone further with ‘test and learn’ pilot schemes set up to find more ways to work with disadvantaged families by improving access to services and building trust.

Bed poverty is frequently hidden, but leaves children with either broken and unsuitable places to sleep - or nowhere at all.

Mayor Coppard said: “When I launched Beds for Babies, I made it my ambition that no child in South Yorkshire should go without a safe place to sleep.

“One year on I’m proud that, working with a range of dedicated partners, we’re delivering on that ambition - supporting over 1,900 children and giving out more than 3,800 essential items.

“The scheme is about more than just beds. It’s about giving every child the best possible start in life.”

Referrals to the scheme come through bodies including midwifery services, GPs, family hubs, children’s centres and others.