Baby Basics Bolton and Bury founder awarded MBE at Windsor

Elizabeth Morley MBE, known as Lizz, set up Baby Basics Bolton and Bury back in 2009  mums access items for their children.

The 45-year-old from Bury, was honoured in the New Year's Honours List for her efforts in the community.

Lizz said: “I first got a letter in September last year that said I had been nominated and would I accept it and I said yes but then I didn’t hear anything, so I thought to myself is this real, I can’t believe this could be real.

“I rang the office up and said I have received this information is this real and she said yes, it is real, but you’re not allowed to tell anybody, and it gets announced on New Year's Eve.

“I didn’t actually believe that it was real until I saw it in writing in the New Year's Honours list.

“I felt completely unworthy of it because everything that we did at Baby Basics was done as a team with the volunteers and I facilitated it and co-ordinated it and absolutely loved it but without those volunteers none of it would have worked.

“I felt completely humbled and honoured and there was lots of crying involved.”

Lizz and her family went to Windsor Castle to receive the medal.

Lizz said: “Princess Anne gave me the medal and she was lovely.

“I was a bit nervous because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but Princess Anne was very interested and asked me about Baby Basics.

“I had my family with me for the whole process, it was so nice.”

Elizabeth Morley MBE with her husband, Andi, and her parents Anthony and Patricia Slack (Image: Elizabeth Morley MBE)Lizz said the ‘ripple effect was massive’ when Baby Basics started going from strength to strength.

She no longer works at Baby Basics as she returned to the NHS but is proud of what she has achieved founding the service.

She said: “Baby Basics is a national charity and I first heard about it when I was listening to a Christian radio station and the lady who set it up in Sheffield was talking about it and from listening to it, I felt something inside me that told me it was something I could do for people in Bolton.

“I go to a church in Bolton called the Bridge Church and I went and spoke to the pastor and said I have had this idea of something I would like to do at the church, and he said why don’t you do it.

“I launched it alongside two other volunteers in 2009 and did it for seven years and we got hundreds and hundreds of referrals from midwives, charities like Fortalice, Urban Outreach.

“Statistics a year ago showed that around 40 per cent of children are brought up in a house in deprivation and poverty.

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“So, the aim of Baby Basics was to make sure there was a safe place for babies to sleep.

“We provided them with clothes and toiletries and with things that they would need, and it gives every baby the chance to start well.

“But as it progressed further and further it became obvious, I wouldn’t be able to work and do Baby Basics voluntary, so I gave my job up and worked running Baby Basics and through grant provision and people donating items, we were able to expand and give labour bags to mums who didn’t have anything.

“We then expanded to help mums in Bury too.

“We helped over 2,000 families over the course of my time with Baby Basics and the ripple effect of it was massive, not only did it help those people who we sent items to, but it also helped lots of people in our community to increase confidence and upskill.”

To make a referral for support contact babybasics@bridgebolton.com or call 01204 361704.

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @chloewjourno.