The Bobby Dhanjal Foundation has given much needed help to charity Baby Basics Leicester, via Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation.
Baby Basics is a volunteer-led charity supporting vulnerable families struggling to meet the practical and financial burden of a new baby or young child. Baby Basics works with health professionals to provide baby essentials for free on a referral basis.
Baby Basics takes in good quality second-hand items, which are carefully checked, cleaned and sorted by its volunteers. Like many charities, Baby Basics’ fundraising has been seriously curtailed by the pandemic, yet referrals to Baby Basics have increased by 80% since the pandemic hit.
The Community Foundation manages charitable funds for companies and families who want to help improve our local area. The Bobby Dhanjal Foundation, set up by Bobby Dhanjal Wealth Management in 2012, has supported many local children over the years, via staff fundraising and company match.
Bobby Dhanjal, who takes a personal lead in the Foundation, said “I grew up in the city myself. I know that some children are unfairly disadvantaged from birth, however much loved they are. So supporting Baby Basics made absolute sense to me. We’re proud to be a company that makes a difference, especially in our own area, and our own communities.”
The grant they gave to Baby Basics, along with another from the National Emergencies Trust, also managed by the Community Foundation, means local families in need are still getting support despite reduced fundraising. Baby Basics have been able to buy essential items for mums with new babies in the pandemic, such as a Moses Basket and mattress, bedding, muslin cloths, toiletries, bottles, toys and nappies.
“Many of the families we help are isolated, without a network of family or friends to support them, and financially unable to buy for their baby,” said Laura Hutchinson of Baby Basics. “By removing the financial and practical burden, we help to improve mental health and wellbeing, giving a more positive experience of being able to care for their baby or young child”.
Katy Green, CEO of Leicestershire and Rutland Community Foundation agreed, “Baby Basics has offered a real lifeline to many mums and their families during the pandemic. They are just one of the often “unsung unseen” small charitable and voluntary groups which have done vital work over the past challenging year, helping those hardest hit by the pandemic. Donor funds like the Bobby Dhanjal Foundation are a crucial support in building a stronger local area!”
