Growbaby west wilts

Growbaby is for children aged 0-5 years and their parents and carers. We are open to all families with children in this age group, with a particular heart for supporting families in need.

We offer a safe and friendly space with lots of toys and activities, and the opportunity for parents and carers to rest and talk with our friendly volunteers and other families.

Every week we have plenty of refreshments including toast, tea, coffee fruit and snacks. Alongside our group we give away essential baby and children’s equipment to families in need, such as clothing, nappies, cots and buggies.

We run on a Thursday mornings in term time between 10am-12noon at Emmanuel’s Yard as part of WaterWays Vineyard Church. There is no charge.

All families with babies and younger children are very welcome, so please do come along and join us!”

If you would like further information please email: growbaby@wwv.church or click HERE .

To make a monetary donation to Growbaby please scan the QR code below or go HERE .

About Us

Growbaby West Wilts was established in February 2025. We have a friendly and experienced core team comprising of Tom and Sandra Bullock (co-leads), Anna Denny, Meg Bloomfield, MJ Joy, Jayne Xx and Tim Adlam. Find out more about us all below.

We are linked with Growbaby International – who help lots of Churches to run successful Growbaby projects.

Visiting Professionals:

At Growbaby we love to welcome other organisations who support families to come along from time to time to meet us and offer advice to our families.  Examples include local health professionals, energy advisers and debt support workers. If you are involved in another project or organisation (whether statutory or voluntary) please do get in touch.  Our three main requirements are that your project is relevant (i.e. it supports families!), that you share our commitment to maintaining excellent safeguarding practice, and that you follow our ethos of “everything is free” – so please do not bring anything to sell or ask for money from any of the families.

Donations of Baby Food, Milk and Equipment

Thank you for considering donating baby food, milk or good quality clothes / equipment.  Your donations make a huge impact on the lives of the families who attend Growbaby.  We accept donations of good quality baby equipment including clothes, pushchairs, buggies, formula milk, baby food and baby blankets.  Please note we are not currently able to accept toys or car seats. If we are unable to store your donation due to a lack of space, we will ensure that it is passed onto another suitable organisation to provide support to a family in need. Donations can be brought to Emmanuel’s Yard on a Sunday Morning, Thursday Morning or by arrangement during the week. 

Funding:

We will never charge for anything we do at Growbaby or ask the families who come for money.  From time to time we will hold fundraising events, for example the fantastic concert held in July 2025 (pictured).
If you want to support us by making a donation you can do so by following this link. Thank you for your help which makes such a difference.  

The Growbaby story

In 2003, Peter and Noni Farrelly started the first Growbaby in the United Kingdom, with one simple aim: to support local families in need, regardless of income, faith or background. This centred on the perception of need from the community, rather than a personal one, and its starting point was the provision of free baby clothing and equipment.

As demand for children’s clothing and equipment, and the reputation of Growbaby Kingston grew, so did the need for other services. It became apparent that many young families, in particular, were looking for guidance in everything from how to look after their child, to budgeting and language acquisition. Equally professionals were looking to Growbaby Kingston for assistance in a growing number of areas.  Growbaby Kingston now provides a wide range of support to both families and professionals.

In 2014, Growbaby was approached by a team from Ivy Street Family Centre in Hoxton, asking if they could set up their own version of Growbaby. Their ethos and vision mirrored the charity’s, and in line with the initial vision of Growbaby, the starting point was the provision of clothing and equipment to those in need, regardless of income, faith or background. Their community’s needs varied from those in Kingston, but their outreach projects centred on the same key vision. 

Peter and Noni Farrelly decided to trademark the name and by 2021, they had helped to launch more than 30 Growbabys in the UK, and 5 further partners using the same idea but different names. In 2021 the first overseas Growbaby was started in Malaysia.  Growbaby Connections was established as a means of encouraging new projects, training existing projects and supporting those working and volunteering. Each Growbaby is unique to its location and serving the local community’s needs, but shares the same vision. 

In 2019 Growbaby International was granted charitable status (CIO 1185228). The name was decided upon after it was felt by the trustees of the emerging charity that it would indeed expand beyond the United Kingdom. Its role would be to help support and grow the number of Growbabys across the world as well as seeking to influence policy making to support families. 

Mission and Vision

he development of Growbaby International is a natural one, founded on the increasing role that local Growbabys are taking in advocacy for children and the empowerment of parents, care givers and professionals. The aim would ultimately be to become a grant-making centre, through the funding of local projects. The UN charter for children’s rights has 4 clear points: non-discrimination; devotion to the best interests of the child; the right to survival and development; and respect for the views of the child. Growbaby International aims to step into each of these four key spaces and provide a platform for change.  

The aim of Growbaby International is:

The prevention and relief of child poverty.

The relief of young people who are in need as a result of financial hardship, youth, ill-health, disability, or other social and economic, or just social, disadvantage.

a)    Support local Growbaby groups

b)    Provide training to parents

c)    Provide or assist in the provision of education and training (e.g. the Being Jesus hands and feet conference)

d)    Provide advocacy for children

e)    Develop support strategies and training for care givers and professionals working with children

f)     Provide grants, items and services to other Growbaby groups and carers or  professionals working with children and families.

More information from Tom & Sandra Bullock:

We are thrilled to be launching this new project Growbaby West Wilts for younger families in our community.

Based on the success of around 40 existing Growbaby projects across the UK (and 1 in Malaysia! Growbaby West Wilts will exist to serve families in West Wiltshire who need essential items for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers, and will offer them a space where they will be valued, loved, and supported – and where Jesus will be at the heart of everything we do.

How will it work in West Wiltshire?

Growbaby will take at Emmanuel’s Yard every Thursday morning during term time, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. These mornings will provide a fun, relaxed time where parents, carers and children can connect with each other, enjoy creative play, sing songs, and take donated items home - all for free. We will also serve refreshments and offer opportunities to or families to chat with our team, creating a safe and supportive community environment. We also hope to invite visiting professionals (i.e. local health visitors, utility bill advisers, etc) to the sessions from time to time.

How can you be Involved?

“It takes a whole Church to raise a child.”

As a Church family, we will need to pray for the success of Growbaby, for the familie we’ll be serving, and for the team involved in running the project. Please pray!!!

We also encourage you to consider volunteering. There are many ways you can help, whether it’s sorting donations, making coffee, setting up activities, or offering a listening ear to parents / carers, there is likely to be a role for you!

We are now ready to accept donations of baby and toddler items such as clothing, nappies, and baby equipment – all of which need to be in a good condition.

Join us on the journey

We are excited to see how Growbaby West Wilts will grow and develop in the coming months. We starting in February with a ‘soft launch’ and have gradually introduced the project to local families, grown our team and sorting through the boxes of donations. After Easter 2025 we begin the full operation of Growbaby West Wilts, and we are seeing our impact grow organically as we meet the needs of those in our community.

How Can You Help?

• Pray for the success of Growbaby and the families it will serve.

• Volunteer your time to help on Thursday mornings or in behind-the-scenes roles.

• Consider donating good quality baby/toddler items to support theproject. We could still do with more clothes and small pieces of equipment but are not needing any books / toys at this time.

For more info, please have a chat to Tom and Sandra Bullock who are leading the project, or email HERE growbaby@wwv.church