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This years Dronfield Woodhouse Well Dressing is to celebrate the opening of the Dronfield Woodhouse Board School 150 years ago on 8th November 1875.

The true origins of Well Dressing are lost in the mists of time. According to many sources, it developed from a pagan custom of making sacrifice to the gods of wells and springs to ensure a continued supply of fresh water. Like many folk traditions, it was later adopted by the Christian Church as a way of giving thanks to God for His gift to us of water.

All donations from the Well Dressing will go to Baby Basics this year.

Baby Basics UK is one of the largest networks of baby banks in the country. Through their network of centres across the UK they support families with all the practical essentials they need for life with children from pre birth – 5 yrs.

Although the increase they see in demand shows the sad situations faced by families in the UK, they are honoured that they can be there to support them and will continue to grow their network into localities of need across the UK.

Every baby basics centre is run by, for and with the local community

Taking referrals from trusted health & social care professionals.

Any young family, at any time, could find themselves in need of the service of a baby bank.

Families that they support include but are not limited to families in poverty, families seeking asylum, families arriving to the UK as refugees, families fleeing domestic abuse, families fleeing trafficking & families who are homeless or in temporary accommodation.

Having a safe space for a newborn to sleep, such as a moses basket is the most basic provision that every parent wants for their child and this was the premise for the creation of Baby Basics.

Since their inaugural centre opened in Sheffield in 2009 they have seen the service they deliver across their network grow to provide so much more than just a moses basket starter pack for a newborn.

Provision of clothes enables a child to stay warm and dry as they grow, provision of toys & books to support development, provision of a pram/pushchair/sling to help a family access their community safely, provision of a cot/cot bed/toddler bed to support good and safe sleep as children grow, provision of nappies & toiletries to enable good hygiene for all the family, provision of feeding equipment and formula so no child goes hungry.

1 in 120 babies born in the UK received a moses basket from a Baby Basics Centre. All of this provision helps to reduce the stress and anxiety faced by parents who are unable to provide these items themselves, or having to make impossible decisions between food, heating, a winter coat for their child, or nappies for their baby. Therefore, supporting the bonding between families and their emotional wellbeing.

Every item they provide is of the highest quality possible, helping to restore value and dignity to families where poverty and circumstance have eroded it.

They work hard to support their network to ensure that they are fully equipped to deliver the service in their local community in partnership with their teams of amazing volunteers.

90% of the items they gift to families are high quality second hand donated by the local community. In 2024 Baby Basics Centres across the UK repurposed over 700,000 items of clothing and 50,000 other items which could have ended up in landfill. This repurposing not only makes a difference to our planet but encourages a circle economy bringing all sides of the community together.

Baby Basics vision...

We are driven by the belief that no family should have to choose between essentials like food or warm clothing. We are motivated by faith and a commitment to justice to address the daily struggles of families and advocate for a future where services such as ours aren’t necessary.

With first hand understanding of the challenges faced by so many families, we seek to make a real difference every day, holding society accountable and centering compassion and family wellbeing into everything we do