Babes in the Wood Bishopbriggs was founded in 2013 by Heather Royan in response to a clear and growing need within the local community.

As a parent herself, Heather saw first-hand how quickly children outgrow clothing, toys and equipment — and at the same time, how many families struggle to afford even the basics. She recognised the opportunity to create something practical, sustainable and compassionate: a specialist service where good-quality children’s items could be reused, recycled and redistributed to families who needed them most.

What began as a simple idea rooted in community care has grown into a trusted baby bank supporting families across the region.

In 2018, Linda Barrack joined the organisation, sharing the same vision and commitment. Together, they expanded the service by launching Babes in the Wood Stirling, extending support to even more children and families while continuing to reduce landfill waste.

Today, Babes in the Wood remains rooted in that original belief — that communities are stronger when we look after one another.

Babes in the Wood was founded with a simple but powerful belief: that no child should go without the essentials they need, and no good-quality children’s items should end up in landfill.

We saw two challenges existing side by side — families struggling to afford clothing, toys and baby equipment, and perfectly usable children’s items being thrown away as they were quickly outgrown.

Babes in the Wood was created to bridge that gap.

Our purpose is to reduce the environmental impact of landfill waste, alleviate the effects of poverty on children from birth to 16 years, and provide a welcoming community shop where parents and carers can access affordable, good-quality children’s items with dignity.

By bringing community, sustainability and practical support together, we help families, protect the environment and strengthen the places we serve.

We support families across East Dunbartonshire and Stirling who are referred to us by trusted professionals, including health visitors, social workers, family support workers and Women’s Aid.

Through our baby bank services, we provide free clothing, toys and essential baby equipment to children from birth to 16 years, helping to ease financial pressure and ensure no child goes without the basics.

We also support the wider community by offering affordable children’s items through our community shops, making quality essentials accessible to all local parents and carers.

At the heart of everything we do is community — practical support where it’s needed most, while creating welcoming spaces for everyone.

We create tailored support packs that respond to the individual needs of each family referred to us.

Each pack is carefully prepared to include age-appropriate and seasonally suitable children’s clothing, toys and essential baby equipment. Our aim is to ensure that every child receives items that are practical, relevant and ready to use.

Referrals are processed as quickly as possible, and packs are made available promptly to ensure families receive timely support.

To protect the dignity and privacy of those involved, referral packs are collected and delivered by the referring professional rather than directly by families.