RAPS’ Magnificent Mama to Mama Charity Support
A vital local charity that supports desperate mums to be and new mothers and babies who are living in poverty has received huge backing from the Ramsgate Arts Primary community.
An appeal for specific much-needed items generated an astounding generous response for Mama to Mama – and after the charity shared RAPS’ success online it received nearly 5,000 online Instagram views and enquiries for local businesses to run a product drive.
And the school has pledged to run an annual drive to help sustain the work of the group.
RAPS admin assistant Jessica Goode ran the school’s campaign. She explained: “Our school community came together in an incredible display of generosity and kindness to support a charity donation event for Mama to Mama following a request from a Year 1 pupil whose parent is a Trustee for the organisation.
“Each class was invited to donate items from a list of essentials to support vulnerable families in our area. We were inundated with donations including nappies, toiletries for mothers and babies, clothing, cots, and many other much-needed items.
Mama to Mama began as a call to action by a local mother who wanted to provide essential newborn baby items to families experiencing poverty through the donation of pre-loved goods.
As demand has increased, particularly during the cost-of-living crisis, the charity has expanded its support to help children up to the age of five, while also offering ongoing assistance for family wellbeing.
Miss Goode added: “Mama to Mama provides a vital lifeline for local families. It works closely with maternity services, social workers, and care professionals, who can make referrals for care packages and additional support. This helps ensure that families receive practical assistance when they need it most.
“The charity’s vision is simple but powerful: that every newborn baby and child under five in Thanet has the best possible start in life. By providing essential items and resources, Mama to Mama helps reduce financial pressures on parents and caregivers, enabling them to focus on creating a healthy and happy beginning for their children.
“The organisation also plays an important role in promoting sustainability by reducing the number of children's items sent to landfill and encouraging a culture of re-use and circular living within the community.
“We are incredibly proud of the generosity shown by our school families and would like to thank everyone who donated. Together, we have made a meaningful difference to local families and helped support the outstanding work of Mama to Mama.”
Responding on social media Mama to Mama stated: “Wow! Ramsgate Arts Primary School - we are speechless. The scene when we arrived to collect the hygiene products was overwhelming - you can only imagine our total surprise.
“Thank you to all the children and families for this incredibly generous product and equipment drive for our charity. This is absolutely amazing.
“We are delighted to share that RAPS have offered to do a product drive once a year for us which is so wonderful. A massive thank you to Jess who co-ordinated the appeal.
“We are beyond grateful to this incredible school community for their support - it really means so much to us and the families we look after.”
Head of School Nick Budge added: “Following the success of this year's appeal, we are delighted to announce that the Mama to Mama donation drive will become an annual event at RAPS.
“We look forward to continuing our partnership with the charity and supporting families across Thanet for years to come.”
Meanwhile the charity is currently calculating the retail value of the donated items to determine how much the school's contributions have saved it and to illustrate the scale of support it received from RAPS.
*Mama to Mama online states: “We are the first and only baby bank service in Thanet. We provide essential pre-loved items, grants, workshops and support to vulnerable pregnant women, caregivers and children under 5, who are living in poverty.
“Mama to Mama is a charity committed to improving the lives of babies and children to give them the best start in life.”
To find out more about the charity go online to www.mama-to-mama.co.uk
Ramsgate Arts Primary School is part of the Viking Academy Trust with Upton Junior School and Chilton Primary School.
*For more information, contact Head of School Nick Budge on 01843 582847
