Emmaus North Staffs partners with Little Steps Big Dreams to further expand community support
Emmaus North Staffs has announced a new partnership with a parent support group who will be delivering workshops and support to local families.
Community Interest Group – Little Steps Big Dreams – provides support to parents throughout Stoke-on-Trent who may be facing financial, health and employment challenges.
The CIC will be running workshops and open days at the Emmaus North Staffs store, in the Potteries Centre, as well as working closely with the charity to see how the two organisations can support more people by building on their partnership.
(Image by Emmaus North Staffs: Kaylee bloor (Little Steps Big Dreams) and Tish Cooke (Manager Emmaus North Staffs charity shop)
Founder of Little Steps Big Dreams, Kaylee Bloor, said: “Little Steps Big Dreams was born from my own experiences as a young parent navigating challenges around health, education, employment and financial stability.
“I know first-hand how overwhelming those barriers can feel, especially when you’re trying to create the best possible future for your child, and it was that journey which inspired me to establish the Community Interest Company, with the aim of supporting parents and families who may be facing similar challenges and helping them access opportunities, build confidence and realise their potential.”
Little Steps Big Dreams also act as a donation bank and provides baby and children’s essentials to families who may be experiencing financial or other difficult situations.
Kaylee added: “Our partnership with Emmaus North Staffs is incredibly meaningful to us. Their support provides an opportunity for us to connect with local families and begin building a stronger support network within the community.
“Part of our work sees us supporting families with baby-related needs such as providing nappies, clothes, bottles, feeding equipment, toys and other essential items, which can be donated to us at the charity shop.
“Where possible, we work on an individual basis to understand what each parent or family needs and provide suitable donations accordingly. This means we can offer practical, immediate support rather than simply providing a standard package of items.
“The space at Emmaus North Staffs is therefore really valuable to us, as it provides somewhere for us to receive, sort, store and organise donations before they are passed directly to families who need them.”
Executive Lead of Emmaus North Staffs, John Webbe, said: “Kaylee has been doing fantastic work in establishing Little Steps Big Dreams.
“As a charity ourselves, we support hundreds of families each year, which includes providing essential furniture items. Plus we also support families via our Beds for Kids campaign where we provide brand new bed bundles for children who do not have a bed of their own.
“We also have our own National Lottery funded Home and Hope project where our experienced support workers offer personalised, compassionate support, working alongside individuals and families to help them overcome challenges and build confidence for the future.
“Therefore, partnering with other organisations like Little Steps Big Dreams, will allow us to further our mission of helping more people and to encourage them to thrive within the community.”
