ULEZ expansion forces community group to fundraise for van

The Baby Bank HQ, a non-profit company run by owners Clare Foster and Kelly Rosevear, fears losing access to its delivery and collections van post-August when ULEZ is expanded to the whole of London. 

They have now started a crowdfunding campaign to buy a replacement to be able to continue serving the community. 

Started in 2020, The Baby Bank HQ supports families in Havering, Barking and Dagenham, and Redbridge with children between one and 12 who cannot afford essentials like clothing, nappies and baby food by providing them free of charge.

It claims to have helped hundreds of families with everyday items, held pop up events for school uniforms and provided thousands of gifts to children at Christmas.

Read More: Did Havering Council water down ULEZ response to appease Sadiq Khan?

It was named as best social enterprise at this year’s Havering Small Business Awards.  

In a Facebook post last week, the team made an appeal for funds to help buy a van to carry on their work.

It said: “This is a huge hit to us as a small group of people, that are just trying to make a big impact within the local community.”

It added that while they have relied on donations for items needed for families in the past, this would be the first time they have asked for help towards general running costs.

Clare Foster and Kelly Rosevear collected the Best Social Enterprise award at this year’s Havering Small Business Awards (Image: Riddhi Kachhela)

Its GoFundMe page said: “As we operate as a non-profit organisation this means all money we receive via funding etc is specifically used for a purpose to support our cause.”

The funds, it said, will be used “to purchase a reasonably priced second-hand van” that meets the ULEZ requirements to enable them to continue their work.

Donations to their campaign can be made at gofundme.com/f/the-baby-bank-hq-purchase-a-new-van.