Little bags will make a big difference
East Riding of Yorkshire Council has received a donation of 400 rucksacks and essential care items for children who come into care unexpectedly.
HEY Smile Foundation and Nurture a Child have come together to provide a simple but practical helping hand for children and young people entering care unexpectedly across the East Riding.
Through the East Riding Youth Grants programme, HEY Smile Foundation has provided £2,500 towards the project, with Nurture a Child generously match funding this with a further £2,500. Together, the £5,000 funding has enabled 400 backpacks to be purchased and filled with essential personal care items.
Each backpack contains everyday essentials including shower gel, shampoo, toothpaste, a toothbrush, wash cloth, deodorant and sanitary products, as appropriate.
The backpacks are designed to be a quick grab-and-go resource for East Riding Council, ensuring that when a child or young person comes into care unexpectedly, there is a bag of essential items ready for them.
Importantly, the backpacks are theirs to keep and reuse, giving them something practical and personal that they can take with them as they move through what may be an uncertain and unsettling time.
Jamie Lewis MBE, chief executive officer at HEY Smile Foundation, said: “These backpacks are a simple idea, but they can make a real difference. They mean that when a child or young person arrives into care unexpectedly, there is something ready for them, something practical that is theirs to keep and use.
“We can’t change the circumstances that have brought a child into care, but together with Nurture a Child and East Riding of Yorkshire Council, we can help make that moment a little easier, and give a child some dignity, comfort and reassurance when they need it most.
“For me, that’s what Smile is about, bringing people and resources together and turning them into something that makes a positive difference to people’s lives.”
Councillor Victoria Aitken, cabinet member for children, families and education, said: “Thank you to HEY Smile Foundation and Nurture a Child for this fantastic donation. The backpacks and everyday essentials within them will make such a difference to children and young people when they may not have been able to bring their own belongings.”