Babygro Babygro Report Charity Number. 1196651 ## Babygro’s Purposes The purposes of Babygro, as set out in our governing document, are: ‘For public benefit, the advancement of education and health, in particular but not exclusively, by (a) providing parents with information about parent-infant communication and its links to attachment, brain development and later life health and wellbeing; and (b) providing evidence-based support to parents relating to infant feeding, crying and sleep.’ ## Babygro’s Activities Babygro is a registered charity for parents and babies that brings to life the latest research on parent-infant communication, brain development and links to later-life (mental) health. Our services include (1) an eight-week course of workshops for parents and babies, in which parents discover how babies’ brains develop, and how responsive communication between parent and baby leads to later life well-being and resilience to stress; (2) an accompanying Babygro Book, which can be downloaded free-of-charge or purchased in print. There are two features that make our services innovative: First, is accessibility. Our Babygro Book tells the story of the latest brain science, in emotive images and with minimal words. Our Babygro Courses employ nurturing activities and video examples to introduce four important networks of the brain and how they develop through parent and baby communication. Second, is our partnership with the Social Neuroscience of Human Attachment Lab , at the University of Essex. This is a centre for brain development which collaborates with leading neuroscientists and psychologists around the globe to publish the latest academic research. Thus, parents can access leading-edge research through modes that are free of technical language and easy-to-digest. The trustees have had regard to the Charity Commissionʼs guidance on public benefit when planning all activities and determining how best to utilise our funds. ## Summary of Babygro’s Main Achievements ## Eight Week Babygro Course During this reporting period we have conducted four, in-person, eight-week courses of workshops for parents with their babies. Parents attending these courses learn, through immersive activities and video examples, about the latest research on infant attachment, brain development and later life outcomes. Throughout the eight weeks, the parents and the course leader (Dr Amanda Lucas, a developmental psychologist, and published academic researcher) ‘build a brain’ in images, that are hung in the trees (see photograph below). The images represent the hormones at work, or the type of activity going on in four important networks of the brain and parents come to understand how communication with their baby influences the development of these networks. Evidencebased advice, discussions and support are provided on the topics of infant crying, feeding and sleep. These educational activities are interspersed with music and songs, as well as tea, coffee and chat. We have also implemented two eight-week courses online. In total for the in-person and online course, there were 41 beneficiaries. Our evaluations found that parents felt more confident after the course in measures such as reading and responding to their babies’ cues, regulating their babies’ feelings and behaviour and promoting resilience and wellbeing in their babies. Parent confidence increased, across the measures - on a fivepoint scale - from an average of 2.8 before the course and 4.5 the course. See full evaluation data and sample testimonials below. Parent Confidence Before and After Participating in our Eight-week Babygro Course 'P<.001 Before After COWIUNITY FU Smartline DLTtt7 from 41wfftnts k05ie Blowman Becoming o new mum confeel overwhelming ond o whole world of choices, opens up. Of course, it is only noturnl you wont to moke the best, (sofest) choicesfor your boby ond I found the Babygro workshop w05 the perfect spoce to spend time getting to know my boby and leorn about my eorly porenting options. -.i+ Thonk youfor providAng o comfortoble ond encoumging environment thot provides informution bosed upon study (Jndfoct, enabling me to m(Jke informed decisions regording my early parenting journey. Eoch 5e55ion w05 enjoyable ond offered o bonding experiencefor me, my portner ond our boby. I felt my confidence grow each week ond left feeling very empowered, Synne Hothway, .1 reolly opprecioted how everything wos backed up with research ond nothing wos tought os o one sizefits oll, approoch. I h(Jven't heard of (Jny courses like thi5 elsewhere, ondftel there is o reol needfvr more courses like this to give new mums guidonce ond confidence in what they ore doing, especiolly when there is so much mi5informJtion and out of dote advice out there, 'It was olso really interesting to learn obout the different types of ottochment ond the impoct these con have on how we deal with our emotions in later life., 'It hos given me a lot more confidence in the woy l interoct with my boby Jon Dodkins. Amondu's ripproach to exploining the source of prevailing ideas on parenting was non-judgemental ond She olwoys shored both the positive5 ond pitfolls- reolly balanced. It meant we couldfeel safe opening up about what we do or understood, without judgement, We loved it and still sing our daughter the songs we used the workshops. Wefound ourselves tellAngfriend5 obout the leornings too ond theyd osk tifter ourlote5t session I, ## Babygro Book The Babygro Book illustrates - in pictures and with minimal words - how babies' brains develop, and how responsive communication between parent and baby leads to later life (mental) health and wellbeing. It is produced in association with our partners at the Social Neuroscience of Human Attachment Lab, and it aims to bring to life the very latest research on bonding and brain development. Since launching the digital version of our Babygro Book on Infant Mental Health Awareness week in June 2022, we have had over 2000 visitors to our website. Our Babygro Book has been downloaded by parents, midwives, health visitors, paediatric consultants, and policy makers - including the Ministry of Health in Australia. We believe the drip-down effects of this will be that health professionals will be better equipped with a scientific understanding of attachment and bonding and how this relates to parentinfant communication. Research is clear that infants who receive sensitive, nurturing and contingent responses to their communications during this period develop brain structures and connections which enable them to regulate their emotions and manage stress throughout their lives. Providing leading-edge knowledge to health care professionals is a key part of communicating these messages to parents. Indeed, a recent report from the Parent-infant Foundation (2022) highlights the need for specialist support to improve the parent-infant relationship across the UK. We believe that the Babygro Book has the potential to play a role in providing and promoting this support. ## Launch of Babygro Book on Instagram with 690 likes ## Future aims and objectives Feedback from our parents has highlighted that they have found the practical advice on sleep, feeding and fussing (including colic and digestive discomfort) particularly helpful. Our future goal is to run additional, weekly, 2-hourly sessions on these topics. This will enable parents to access evidence-based support on emotive topics that can be the source of anxiety, especially in the context of conflicting advice from social media, the internet and health professionals. These additional classes will require extra facilitation, as well as administrative support, and we hope to make further employments in the coming year. The Babygro Book has been professionally type-set and in September we plan to have the first run of print copies go to press. We intend to market the book to healthcare professionals and children’s charities. A future ambition is to become a hub for health professionals to learn about parent-infant relationships, brain development and lifelong mental health. We aim to increase the sustainability of Babygro by charging a modest fee to children’s services and charities for two-day professional courses. Our objective is to rely less on grant funding, while maintaining our free-of-charge services to parents. ## Financial Review The total unrestricted funds for this period were £24,981. This was made up of Grant Funding (National Lottery Community Fund and University of Exeter), the Founding Director’s Start-up Capital (classed as a donation to the charity) and an interest-free start-up loan. |Income|Amount (£)| |---|---| |Director’s Own Capital (Start-up)|£1,534| |Grant from Smartline (University of Exeter)|£2,447| |Interest Free Loan|£11,000| |Grant from National Lottery Community Fund|£10,000| |Total|£24,981| The total receipts were £19,498 (see Receipts and Payments Accounts for breakdown), leaving a cash balance of £5,483 at the end of the financial year. Further to this, some items of expenditure (£2000 to have the eight-week course filmed; £4,500 of the spend on digital technology) had already been approved as part of a grant from Cornwall Council (Superfast 3), and 80% of these costs will be re-imbursed to Babygro in the next financial period. We applied for this grant to enable us to create a digital version of the Babygro course. Furthermore, we have an application in progress for further grant funding from Cornwall Community Foundation to ensure financial stability for the next financial year. ## Reserves Policy The trustees aim to maintain free reserves in unrestricted funds which equate to 3 months of running costs for Babygro. This is equal to £1,500 per month (including salaries, digital platforms, insurances, and venue hire), totalling £5,000. Thus, we have met this aim. Structure, Governance and Management Babygro was incorporated as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation on 18[th] November, 2021 and has adopted a constitution governing document. Our trustees are appointed or reappointed annually at the Annual General Meeting held in November. ## Reference and Administrative Details Charity name: Babygro Registered charity number: 1196651 Charity’s principal address: 27 Trevonnen Road, Ponsanooth, Truro, Cornwall. Tr3 7az. Names of the Charity Trustees who Manage the Charity Dr Charlotte Brand – Chair Dr Devi Whittle Mrs Jenny Martin The trustees approved this trustees’ report on June 28[th] , 2023. | CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WALES BA8YGRO Recei ts and ments accounts CC16a For tho perlod from IS Nov2021 Tts Section A Receipts and payments UnrastrlGLed fund& Roslrict•d funds toth• n•aMt£ Endowment fund8 t(*th• Total lund• L••tyowr toth• nHrMt ttsth• nHr••tt toth• nur•Bt£ A1 Rocel ejiani Futyjino |nleTe¥l Flee L(Kyn Founderfj Own CApitAI IStArt Upl 12,447 11.L 1,8)4 I,ba4 ross income or ARI 24,981 nves 4•0 tabl• . 24,981 3Pa Siart up Costs niuitdl TetDokngv Workyhop Equipmeni Wob¥i*Em8lbE-ptrytlotm 1,894 1.1Q4 51J 1,104 612 817 Freelance Sorvict8 BODK DBSI Venue Hb Salar￿3 P4 rol & penw￿5 (Ker￿1•&11 •0 her 575 1.4JO 5.004 075 91 Sub total 1•,488 A4 A•set and Inv08trnont Sub total 19,498 19,498 Net ofrnc•lpts/(paymentsJ AS Transfers b91w￿n fund• A8 Cash fun￿$ last ye4r end Cash funds thls ￿r•￿d S,183 5,483 5,483 S,483 CCXX R1 ￿Unts Issi 1910312023 Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Vnfestrlcted funds to n￿r•*t£ Restri¢tod funds to nMr••t£ Endowment funds to n•aroSt£ 81 C4Jh fund8 Ca5Th In 5.483 rotal cash fund¥ S.483 revjlths Unrn•trl¢to(1 fund$ lo rt•*r••t£ Rostrfcled fund lo nearo•t£ Endowmont fund• tty n￿1<•t£ Drt4118 Fund fvwhl¢h k•••t b•k)n Curr•ntv¥lu• k>MI ¢¢Ai lOPtloMII B3 In¥￿tment a•• towhl¢h urr•niv¥lu• Oelalls a•vJl ¢MI i•ptloMII B4 A•8•t8 r•taln•d for th? ¢h•rlty'• own u•• Fund towhl¢h Amount du• Whvn du BS Llabllltl•• Sigmd byon• or ￿ trustee$ on b&ha￿OI all the Iruste? Date of roval SvJn8lure Pdnl Nam CCXX F12 accounts ISSI 19103tt023