WOW…. what a year it has been!!!
Lets start with our ‘TV highlights…. We were shortlisted for Dragons Den and gave our best pitch ever!!! You’ll have to watch this space to see whether it will be televised….. It definitely was an experience we will never forget.
One of our British Baby Boxes also appeared on Eastenders..It was a hard story line but reminded us all that it isn’t always a happy time having a baby… Which takes us on to our partnership with Alternatives Watford. This Charity has now provided over 100 baby boxes to those who desperately need and want to provide ‘the best start’. for their babies. If you are a Charity, please contact us at hello@britishbabybox.com to find out more.
Our Adorable British Baby Box is now available in John Lewis and we feel very proud to partner with such a strong British Brand. We also partnered up with a French brand, so our Cherish Baby Box can now be seen in Paris! In 2019 we will launch on one of the biggest online distributors and will also launch our very own British Baby Box babies clothing range.
We are also very proud to be a supplier to the Scottish Government, which has seen an average of 1,000 baby boxes delivered each week to parents of newborns in the first year of this programme. To date, this programme has provided 52,065 baby boxes, with an 85% uptake by parents.
The Royal College of Midwives have also stated that in more deprived or isolated communities, baby boxes could be especially beneficial in providing safe sleep spaces for baby. Gill Walton, the RCM’s chief executive and general secretary said giving the boxes to all new mothers in the UK would provide a ‘more equal start to life for the baby’. We couldn’t agree more!
We are also 100% committed to ensure a British Standard is created for Baby Boxes. I am a member of the British Standards Institution so am responsible for developing the first ever standard. The new standard will specify safety requirements and test methods for the design and manufacture of Baby Boxes. It will also include the type of mattress used. THERE IS NO CURRENT STANDARD FOR A BABY BOX and it is misleading for any company to state this.
British Baby Box was built with the aim of giving all babies an equal start in life – an ethos which began in Finland where, for 80 years, the state has been gifting all new mums with a baby box.
This is why we have continued to team up with various Charities worldwide and have continued to champion Safer Sleep Week, a campaign run by the Lullaby Trust, and work with Emma’s Diary to provide advice for mums-to-be.
In 2019, we will continue to work with governments, the NHS, steering groups and health professionals worldwide, to ensure all babies are given the best start in life.