Welcome to the Building Bonds Project!
The Building Bonds Project is a UK based CIC focused on helping families and their children to be close, especially in times of crisis, need or trouble. We believe that every child should have the chance to enjoy close and loving contact with their primary caregiver. A comfortable, well-fitting hands-free carrier will enable these essential relationships to form, building a happy brain. This is especially important in giving children a positive start in life that will improve their futures.
We are delighted to be recipients of National Lottery funding to be able to provide this service.
The Building Bonds Project provides slings and carriers to families experiencing financial, social or health difficulties. These families are often unable to source or afford their own carrier easily. We aim to break down the barriers to babywearing, making carriers accessible to those who need them most.
We work with charities, communities and local sling libraries around the UK, and offer remote support where needed.
All our carriers are new/nearly new and many have been donated by partner companies. All the carriers we donate/fund are of high quality, and we ensure families are shown how to use them safely.
If you’ve come to support us, our crowdfunder is here. Alternatively, our PayPal link is here.
Why donate carriers and arrange fittings?
There is much evidence to show that the first 1000 days of a child’s life has a huge impact on their future health and wellbeing: we aim to help build the resilience and relationships that allow children and their families to thrive despite adversity and difficulties. Close contact is a key part of this – holding and carrying children close helps to build secure attachments and promotes responsive parenting.
Why does the Project offer support/consults and donate carriers? Babies want to be close to their parents and carers; it helps them to feel safe. They cry less when held and rocked and soothed, and will usually fall asleep in their carer’s arms. In-arms carrying can be tiring, so using a sling or carrier can make life much easier. Using a carrier bring many therapeutic benefits to babies, older children and carers from all walks of life.
Children living in difficult circumstances, living in poverty, and those with disabilities or sickness, may benefit enormously from being held close in a carrier, giving them a safe space, offering reassurance, allowing them to participate in family life and build the essential relationship bonds that are so important for future good mental health. When a family is experiencing a great upheaval (leaving their home country, feeling from domestic abuse, moving into social or foster care), a carrier can provide a safe haven and a sense of loving familiarity in a strange situation.
Slings can simply be a practical solution for getting around and out of the house and able to do things; for others, the act of carrying can be calming and uplifting. Arms can get tired holding babies who will only stop crying when cuddled; a sling can make this easier.
It is vitally important that these slings are used safely to protect babies’ health. Working with sling libraries and consultants means that parents and caregivers are given accurate, up to date and appropriate support and guidance for using carriers safely and competently, especially when the mental load of surviving/coping is high.
Who do we work with?
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We work with organisations that help people needing intensive social support, such as those with refugee status, survivors of trafficking, domestic abuse, or with previous social services involvement, the homeless, those needing food banks, and more.
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Baby carriers can also be a very useful tool for children in the foster or social care system; helping to build secure attachments to the new caregivers, and to act as a tool to aid transition between homes.
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We help families whose children are needing prolonged stays in hospital, who are very unwell or have life-limiting illnesses. Close contact can be very reassuring for scared children and their parents. A sling/carrier can simply help with transport around hospital and to and from vehicles, and help with caring for other children.
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We help families who have children with special needs. Comfy slings can offer fantastic opportunities for occupational or physical therapy as well as being a safe space for a child. They can be incredibly therapeutic, for children with sensory processing difficulties, autism or physical disabilities, for example.
- We help families who are experiencing significant pre-existing or antenatal/postnatal depression, anxiety or PTSD, as we recognise that perinatal mental health disorders can have a very significant impact on parent/child bonding.
Read more about why babywearing matters here.
Where are we?
Our headquarters are in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in the United Kingdom but we work across the country with local libraries who are affiliated with our service. Parents/caregivers can refer themselves using the forms below. Sling and health care professionals, and organisations/ charities who support families in need can refer families directly using the form below.
We will usually ask to work with the local sling library or consultant, to help with identifying and recommending an appropriate sling. If we donate a carrier, we post it once the best option is identified and has been fitted.
Would you like our help? Refer yourself here.
Are you a health or social care professional, or a charity/organisation supporting a family? Refer here.
Check our eligibility criteria for referrals in this document here.
Are you a sling librarian or consultant? Refer here.
You can also contact us here if you have any queries!
We are a CIC (a Community Interest Company), staffed by volunteers. We rely on the kindness of others and grants/donations to be able to support families. We are beneficiaries of National Lottery funding.
Donate to our Project via our crowfunder link, or via Paypal.