Supporting families when they need it most

We are here to support individuals and families experiencing financial hardship by providing essential items free of charge.

To make sure we reach those most in need, we work through an anonymous referral system.

This means we are unable to accept self-referrals.

How to Access Support

For members of the public

If you need help, please speak to a professional who is already supporting you, knows your circumstances well and you feel comfortable approaching.

This could be:

A social worker (children’s or adults services)
A school or college staff member
A health visitor, GP, midwife or other healthcare professional
A housing officer
A support worker or key worker
A recognised charity, church or community organisation
A worker from other agencies i.e., Citizens Advice, Employment Solutions

They can complete a referral to us on your behalf.

If you are still unsure who to contact to access support from us, please get in touch and we can try to direct you to relevant organisations who can submit a request on your behalf.

Testimonial

“I’m passing on a thank you from my young lady you recently supplied the baby and household items for. She was over the moon and so grateful as she really had nothing.”

Testimonial

“We left the refuge with nothing and moved into a shell of a house, but at least my daughter and I were safe at last. We got a good start to a new life. Household items, bedding, towels, even a new toaster and kettle just what we needed.”

Optional Title

“Rotherham Families First staff and support team were amazing and helped with all my family needs. So grateful for all the help and support.”

For professional workers

Are you working with a family or individual in the Rotherham borough that needs help with clothing, baby equipment, toys or household items?

We can provide them with new or pre-loved items through our Emergency Provision service from our base in Parkgate, Rotherham.

All our services are free for families and individuals to access. However, our charity relies on items being donated by the public so we cannot guarantee support for every request.

All referrals are assessed on an individual basis and are dependent on what items we have in stock, but will always endeavour to help where we can. We do not have a waiting list for specific items.

We supply essential items only, but an example of the things we can provide are:

Clothing and footwear for children and adults including pyjamas, underwear, school uniform, coats – please provide us with clothing and footwear size or age of children
Baby equipment including prams, cots, beds, high chairs, bath seats, bouncer chairs, seats and walkers, nappies, maternity wear
Toys and books – please let us know what the child is interested in
Household items such as bedding, kitchenware, small electrical items, curtains, towels, soft furnishings and décor
Toiletries

How to make a referral

To make a referral, please email a list of items needed to ann.familiesfirst@gmail.com.

Our service is anonymous so we do not require names or addresses of the recipients, but for some items we will need ages and clothing/footwear sizes in order to complete the request.

Our volunteers put all orders together on a Thursday ready for collection on Friday or the following Monday.

It must be yourself or someone from your organisation that collects the items from our Parkgate unit. We do not allow families to collect their own items. The unit is open between 9am and 12pm.

If you have not been to the unit before, you will be given directions upon confirmation that your order is ready to collect.