Trafford’s only dedicated baby bank, Little Green Sock Project, has reached its critical £200,000 fundraising target of its Save Our Baby Bank Campaign, securing the future of its life-changing services. The milestone comes thanks to a generous final £20,000 donation from healthcare property and developer, Assura.
The funding marks the culmination of the charity’s Save Our Baby Bank campaign, launched in response to the imminent loss of its current premises at Stretford Mall, which is scheduled for demolition in 2025. With the full target now met, the charity will move forward with plans to lease a new base within Trafford – allowing it to continue providing essential support to families across Trafford, Manchester, and Salford.
Founded in 2022, Little Green Sock Project has become a crucial part of Trafford’s support network, working with health professionals to provide families in crisis with dignity-led referrals. The charity delivers essential bundles – including items like prams, cots, and clothing – to ease financial pressure. In 2024 alone, it redistributed more than 10 tonnes of donated items to local families.
The donation will help fund the lease and set-up of a new operational base for the charity in Trafford Park, where it will continue to collect, sort and distribute essential items for families living in poverty or crisis.
Catherine D’Albertanson, founder of Little Green Sock Project, said: “When we launched our Save Our Baby Bank campaign, we were facing a very real threat of closure despite increasing demand on our service. £200,000 felt so far out of reach for a small charity like ours. The response however has been beyond anything we could have imagined. Our community, our supporters, and our partners have stood beside us every step of the way.
“And now, thanks to an incredibly generous £20,000 donation from our friends at Assura, we’ve reached our target and can now move forward to secure a lease on a new premises within Trafford, and continue to ensure that children don’t go without the basics they need for their health and wellbeing. From all of us at Little Green Sock Project, the volunteers, referral partners and on behalf of the families we support now, and in the future, THANK YOU!”
Headquartered in Altrincham, Assura established the Assura Community Fund in 2020 and has since distributed more than £2m to health-improving projects in the communities around its buildings across the UK. That funding has helped almost 209,000 people in projects which are reducing isolation, improving mental and physical health, supporting young people, expanding access to local community services and helping people with education, employability and skills.
Karen Nolan, head of social impact at Assura said: ”The work Little Green Sock Project does to support families in Trafford is crucial. Many of the Assura team have volunteered locally with Little Green Sock Project so it’s a cause very close to us all. We’re delighted to, through the Assura Community Fund, help them continue to provide their essential service. ”
This milestone represents more than just a fundraising success – it secures the future of a much-needed service for families in crisis and reflects the power of community collaboration at its best. With a new base on the horizon, Little Green Sock Project is now focused on the future: expanding its reach, strengthening partnerships, and continuing to be a lifeline for children and parents who need it most.
