Right, so there we are, guys.
It's a lovely shop, this one.
Lovely atmosphere on this one.
And when the sun comes over, it's nice.
Obviously, I'm still in the middle of getting it together, obviously.
We've got our food donation baskets, and for the pet food, and for the pet food, human food, nappies, etc.
So, I just wanted to reiterate what I'd said the other day about there are many baby banks out there, and several baby banks popped up after we started doing what we do.
And that's good because other mothers get help, okay?
I'm not dissing people who started at baby banks.
Some have already got charities that were already doing other stuff, like with a homeless, and then all of a sudden they started a baby bank, right?
Because, obviously, there was no money left in homelessness, so they thought they'd rape the system and do a baby bank to try and knock us off the pedestal.
Anyway, there's a reason why we do so well, and that's because we're so honest, yeah?
So, if you go through any other baby banks, the mothers have to be referred by a healthcare professional.
Midwife, social worker, nurse, doctor, anybody else you can think of, okay?
So, obviously, I'm qualified in various fields of healthcare, at various training throughout my life.
You know what my work ethic is like.
So, when I was working, you know exactly how hard I would have worked at these other jobs.
And they all have accredited qualifications.
I can't say that without saying it legally either, okay?
So, people can say what they like online, okay?
You don't have to be registered with the NMC to be a nurse, okay?
You have to be registered with the NMC to practice as a nurse in the UK.
That's two different things, okay?
So, anyway, if you donate to other baby banks, just please bear in mind that they have to have a referral of a healthcare practitioner.
And those healthcare practitioners are governed by governing bodies.
A little bit like the Charity Commission.
So, by law, they have to tag in social services.
Because if somebody's saying they've got no baby food and no nappies and they're struggling, they have to tag in social services, by law, and to cover their own backsides.
Now, with us, there is no middle man, okay?
I am the front man and I am the middle man, okay?
It is a self-referral system.
And I am qualified and experienced to allow that to happen.
If I feel that somebody needs a referral to social services, yes, I can make a referral.
So can you.
So can Joe Public make a referral to social services.
You don't have to be a qualified individual to do that, okay?
So, please bear in mind that my mothers are under enough pressure, as it is, to provide for their children in this current climate that's out there.
Without having a visit of the Gestapo, because such and such baby bank has been involved in their referral, because they've had to go through a midwife, you know.
Just think about how many times you've been on your arse, yeah?
And did you really, really need social services rocking up at your door, because you couldn't afford baby milk?
Baby milk is expensive.
I couldn't afford baby milk.
And it was like £10 a tub then, years ago.
And I used to struggle with it.
I can't remember what the family allowance and all was back then either.
But I think it just covered the baby milk.
And because I worked, I didn't get anything, you know.
Didn't get any help.
So please just bear that in mind when you're donating food, nappies.
The mothers that enclose, that the mothers that go through those baby banks, they have to be referred by a professional.
They're not self-referral.
And that could possibly result in them being referred to social services.
And we've had the Gestapo turn up at mothers' houses, open their cupboards and start counting their tins of beans,
you know.
A lot of my volunteers are mothers that I've already helped.
Grandmothers that have seen us helping people.
So please just bear that in mind.
You can support who you want to support.
You can support whatever charity you want to support, whatever organisation you want to support, whatever is going on, you can support it.
I can't make you do anything.
All I can do is give you the information and the feedback from my mothers.
They come here because they know I'm not going to be ringing social services and say they've been here two weeks in a row for nappies.
Right?
They've been here two weeks in a row for baby milk.
Yeah?
So think about it, guys.
Think about who you donate to in general.
