NHS neonatal units across country set to receive premature baby clothing donation from Tesco

Every NHS neonatal unit across England is set to receive packs of premature baby clothes to help parents in need at what can be a difficult and worrying time.

Tesco is donating 23,000 packs of F&F Premature Baby Essentials to the 157 units. Each pack contains sleepsuits, bodysuits, hats & scratch mitts.

The Salvation Army is supporting Tesco to help deliver the clothing. The 23,000 packs are being delivered to its depot in Wollaston in Northamptonshire before being transported to the neonatal units in the coming weeks.

According to ONS data, on average, 7-10% of babies born in England and Wales are born prematurely. The Tesco donation will see roughly half of them receive F&F essentials.

Jan Marchant, Managing Director, Home & Clothing, said:

“Premature babies are often unexpected, and it can be difficult to find clothing items to fit at such short notice. We want to provide practical help to mums and dads at a stressful time and help give the babies a stronger start in life.”

NHS chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, said:

“Having a baby born prematurely can be a really worrying time for so many, and with our hard-working staff across the country continuing to do all they can to provide care and support to premature babies and their families, it is fantastic that Tesco is donating specialist baby clothing to every NHS neonatal unit across England to provide additional help. 

“These clothing packs could make a huge difference to tens of thousands of babies and their families who need it most over the next year, and we are extremely grateful to Tesco, and to the Salvation Army, for making this possible.”

Kirk Bradley, Head of Corporate Partnerships from the Salvation Army said:

“We are happy to be supporting Tesco to deliver these much-needed items of clothing to the NHS neo-natal units, which are saving young lives.  Providing this support means The Salvation Army can continue to provide practical help for people in need across the UK.

“These generous donations provide comfort for the most vulnerable and give these families essentials in their time of need.”

New mum, Zoe, whose son Huxley was born prematurely at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, said:

 “It was such a big milestone for us to be able to put him in clothes after seven weeks.  The items donated from Tesco to the neo-natal units will be crucial to many parents who have experienced a premature birth.  As the baby clothing has Velcro fittings it makes dressing and undressing the baby easier. It’s so great that Tesco produces premature baby clothing to fit tiny newborns.” 

Christmas saw Tesco stores across the country collect tens of thousands of toys from generous shoppers to help struggling families. And last winter Tesco stepped in to help families struggling with the cost-of-living by donating almost 4,000 brand new F&F coats to people in need through FareShare, the Salvation Army and the Cottage Family Centre children’s charity in Kirkcaldy.

July 2023 saw Tesco launch Stronger Starts: a £5m grant programme, in partnership with Groundwork UK, to give children across the UK a stronger start in life. The grants help schools and children’s groups provide nutritious food and healthy activities that support young people’s physical health and mental wellbeing, such as breakfast clubs or snacks, and equipment for healthy activities. Customers can support their local school and children’s groups by dropping the Tesco blue token they receive at checkout into the relevant voting box as they leave the store.