Updated, October 2026. Since this article was first published in January 2024, a community interest company has been set up under the name, and every shop has been taken back by its landlord. One thing has not changed: Jayne’s Baby Bank has never been a registered charity. Read the update.
There are many individuals questioning the charity status of Jayne’s Baby Bank, and we offer a way to check this yourself by clicking here.
As shown on the official register at register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk, there is currently no legal charity registration for Jayne’s Baby Bank. To rule out errors in spelling or naming, we also searched using broader keywords such as “Baby Bank” in the Wales and Caerphilly region. You can review those results here or refer to the image below.
Due to this, it remains unclear how funding has been allocated to support the local community. When we searched in January 2024 for a Community Interest Company (CIC) listing under “jayne’s”, no results were returned. One exists now: see the update below.
In a notable development, Jayne’s Baby Bank (JBB) has claimed exemption status via the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), suggesting this exempts it from registering as a charity. In the linked video, JBB displays a letter from the FCA stating:
‘Confirming our non-objection to the Sensitive Business Name you proposed.’
It is important to note that this is not a confirmation of exemption. Rather, it indicates that the organisation applied to use a business name that includes a regulated or “sensitive” term. The FCA’s response simply confirms there is no objection to the proposed naming — it does not grant any exemption from registering as a charity, nor does it constitute authorisation to operate as one. This distinction appears to be misunderstood in both the TikTok video and related Facebook posts.
You can find a real-time list of sensitive terms on the FCA’s website. None of the entries currently listed confer automatic exemption from charity registration requirements. We set out the FCA claim in full in our July 2025 report.
Neighbourly.com, a website designed to help locals support verified causes, includes a listing for ‘Jayne’s Baby Bank & FREE FOODBANK’ located at 7 Meadow Road, Pontllanfraith, Blackwood, NP12 2AG, UK.
During our investigation, we discovered the property is registered as a council house.
Returning to the issue of registration, Miss Ridsdale appears to misunderstand the distinction between operating as a baby bank and legally being a charity. In her Facebook post (24 October 2022, as kept in our archive), she asserts they are separate entities. However, public representations often blur this line — particularly where “charity” is repeatedly used in promotional and branding materials.
To clarify: the Charity Retail Association’s guidance on starting a charity shop begins with registering as a charity with the Charity Commission. And the law draws a firm line: under section 63 of the Charities Act 1992, it is an offence to ask for money or goods for an organisation while representing that it is a registered charity, when it is not. At the time of writing, there is no indication that any premises affiliated with Jayne’s Baby Bank is operating under a valid charity registration.
In a video dated 13 February 2024, Carrie-Anne Ridsdale asserts that individuals only ask for her charity number so they can report her.
We cannot determine the precise motivation behind these discrepancies — but we can all make educated guesses.
Update, October 2026: a company, not a charity
We searched the Charity Commission’s register again on 7 October 2026. A search for “jayne” returns five charities, none of them Jayne’s Baby Bank; a search for “jaynes” returns none. Jayne’s Baby Bank has never been a registered charity, and an application to register it was refused in 2023 (the Sherlock Dossier).
What has changed: the CIC
Since 7 November 2025 a company has carried the name: JAYNE’S BABY BANK C.I.C., company number 16838920, a private company limited by guarantee and a community interest company. Companies House lists two directors, Jayne Price and Gail Jenkins. Its registered office is Unit 5, Block D, Newbridge Road Industrial Estate, the donation centre. Its first accounts, to 30 November 2026, are due by 7 August 2027, and its first confirmation statement by 20 November 2026.
A community interest company is not a charity. It has no charity number, it answers to the CIC Regulator rather than the Charity Commission, and it does not get a charity’s tax reliefs, including the mandatory 80% relief on business rates.
What she has said
- 24 October 2022: “We have always stated and have signs up in the shops that we are going through the registration process.” (archive)
- February 2024: a food business registration for the Risca shop gives the operator type as “A charity (registered by a representative)” and the charity number as “Awaiting” (our report).
- 27 October 2024: the lease she signed for 6 Commercial Street, Pontypool, in her own name, lets the shop for “use as a shop for the sale of Charity shop” (our report).
- 1 February 2026, video: “You get 80% discount if you’re a charity or a CIC, and then you get 20% discretionary.” The 80% is for registered charities only (our report).
- 7 February 2026: “we have been authorised to operate as a CIC with fundraising shops by Caerphilly and Torfean Council.” Councils do not register or authorise community interest companies; Companies House and the CIC Regulator do (our report).
- 20 September 2026: landlords “can not legally dispose of any assets” because “we are a Trademarked Registered CIC” (our report).
The Facebook page now runs as “Jaynesbabybank Registered – cic”. Registered as a company, yes. As a charity, no.
Where it stands
Between May and September 2026 the landlords of all four of its shop fronts took them back. The one unit left, the Newbridge Road donation centre, which is also the company’s registered office, is under a fire service prohibition. On 7 October 2026 her son was photographed outside Principality House in Rogerstone, a former factory advertised at £30,000 a year; she has not confirmed taking it (our report).
The question we asked in January 2024 has the same answer today. Is Jayne’s Baby Bank a registered charity? No.
Check for yourself. Search the register of charities for any charity before you give, and look for its registered charity number on its shop, its posts and its collection pages. A community interest company appears on Companies House, not on the register of charities.
Carrie-Anne Ridsdale, also known publicly as Jayne Price, has a standing right of reply, and it is open now. If anything here is wrong, send us the document that shows it through our contact page, and we will correct it on the record. Any response is published in full and unedited, and the offer does not expire.
…Sherlock
Disclaimer: The information above includes commentary and conclusions based on public records, government databases, and video content produced by the organisation discussed. Where analytical observations have been made, including the interpretation of documents or statements, they are intended for public interest purposes only. Where AI assistance has supported research or commentary, such tools do not provide legal, clinical, or regulatory advice. Readers are encouraged to consult official sources for complete context.