MEMBERS of Chard’s WI have given a welcome boost to a charity which provides help hampers for newborn babies in need.

Catherine Norris, Pat Gammage, Isabel Loader, and Joanne McNulty handed over a large donation to Lisa Osborne of Baby Basics at the charity’s base at monks Yard, Ilminster.

Lisa Osborne, the local representative for Baby Basics, said: “We are a national charity that was set up in Sheffield and is now located across the country.

“There are 20 to 25 centres. We are definitely the first one in Somerset.

“We launched in June, 2016, and are based here at Monks Yard and it is really the Monks Yard community which runs it.”

Isabel Loader, from Chard WI, said: “Members of our Chard branch handed over a number of items, intended for new babies and their mothers, to the Baby Basics charity, based locally at Monk’s Yard in Ilminster.

“The charity works with midwives, healthcare professionals and vulnerable families.”

Mrs Osborne added: “We get referrals from health professionals. They refer new families to us and then we put together these baskets for new mothers which should be everything that they will need for at least the first three months.

“It has things like blankets, clothes, soft toys, nappies, and wipes.

“Most of what we give away comes to us as donations. Sometimes we are short on a couple of items for a basket so we will put out a message of Facebook and people respond really well.

“We have collection baskets in the cafe at Monks Yard, and also at Ilminster and Chard Tesco, and the St Mary’s Clinic in Chard.”

Baby Basics started at The Kings Centre in Sheffield in the spring of 2009.

For more information, visit baby-basics.org.uk.