Charity returns home after £10k flood damage

Jayne Furniss is the CEO of Thanet-based Mama to Mama

A Kent charity which helps families in poverty is reopening at its main site after it was forced it to move due to flooding which caused £10,000 worth of damage.

Mama to Mama, which provides second hand items to vulnerable pregnant women, carers and children under five in Thanet, will reopen at its Ramsgate site on Tuesday.

But the charity said there was delay in distributing items after it was hit by flooding on 13 June.

Jayne Furniss, the charity's CEO, said: "It's just heart-breaking because its months and hours of time, resourcing, cleaning, sorting, so it's difficult."

The charity delivers care boxes to new mums that include baby cloths, a blanket or sleep suit, a muslin and a comforter or soft toy.

It also adds a pack of biodegradable wipes, organic cotton wool pads and pregnancy or new baby toiletry products.

Ms Furniss said: "We have had an incredible response from our community, so we are hoping this week we will get a flurry of donations and we are hoping some brands have read our plea and they will get in touch."

The flooding caused £10,000 worth of damage

Despite seeing a jump of more than 40% in referrals in recent months, the charity says there has been a decline in donations of bigger items.

In 2023-24, Mama to Mama supported 128 families in Thanet and it was hoping to increase this by 40% by 2026.