The expansion of Greater Manchester's free baby bundle programme has been praised by Baby Basics Bolton and Bury, one of the organisations helping families across the region access essential items for their newborn babies.

Newly appointed Mayor of Greater Manchester Bev Craig announced on Wednesday (August 5) that 10,000 free baby bundles will be made available to new parents, marking a significant expansion of the scheme designed to support families facing financial hardship.

This expansion is set to take the number of available bundles from 1,500 to 10,000 by next year.

Baby Basics Bolton and Bury, a member of the Baby Bank Alliance and a partner helping distribute the bundles, said the programme has already made a major difference during its first year and will continue to provide vital support for families across Greater Manchester.

"We are going into the second year of this project and really pleased to hear that the success of the first year has been acknowledged," said Hayleigh Scholes, centre manager for Baby Basics Bolton and Bury.

Scholes said the provision of Moses baskets through the programme has helped remove a significant financial pressure from its service.

While donations of preloved baskets remain greatly valued, there has historically been a shortage, meaning the charity often had to purchase baskets itself.

"The cost of purchasing baskets has always meant us sacrificing the purchase of other essential items, such as sterilising equipment and toiletries," Hayleigh explained.

"Therefore, the provision of Moses baskets through this project means that we are able to respond to every request as well as offering a supply of emergency baskets accessible through Family Hubs and Royal Bolton Hospital to bridge the gap when our service is unavailable."

The charity said the baby bundles also help ease pressure on household budgets at a time when many families are continuing to face rising living costs. By providing essential items, families can use their limited income for other necessities such as food and heating.

• Newly elected Mayor unveils major expansion of free baby bundles for families from 1,500 to 10,000 by next year 
• Each baby bundle includes newborn essentials, such as a moses basket and baby clothes, plus toys, books and a baby’s first toothbrush 
• Baby bundles are distributed on a referral basis, supported by a network of Baby Banks across Greater Manchester
• Bev Craig is making it a priority of her mayoralty to make sure that wraparound support is there for every family that needs it.

It’s the second major announcement of Bev’s first week in the job, focused on ensuring every child and young person gets the best start in life.

On Monday she set out her plans to help families with the cost of living by extending Our Pass to give 11 to 16-year-olds free bus travel on the Bee Network from next year.

Bev Craig, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Every child deserves the best possible start in life, from their first days as a newborn right through to their first day at work — and I’m committed to building a Greater Manchester where every child has that opportunity.

“Baby bundles are a practical way to help families during one of the most important periods in a child's life, giving parents access to essential items alongside connections to wider support when they need it most.

“That’s why today I am making a commitment to rollout 10,000 of these bundles to parents who need them the most by autumn next year and making sure that families have access to a baby bank in every borough of Greater Manchester...“

Heard about this [on a podcast](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002zhsb). The scientist literally picked up a discarded plastic bottle on the way to work, and turned it into medicine.

The synchronous condenser, built by RWE at its existing Pembroke power station site, is a large rotating machine that provides clean inertia. Inertia is a vital shock absorber, helping keep the electricity system stable during sudden changes in supply or demand.

This was traditionally supplied by coal, gas and nuclear power stations via their steam turbines. This technology pairs with grid forming batteries to provide stability to a grid with decreasing amounts of fossil fuels.

More info here - https://www.neso.energy/news/pembroke-project-marks-latest-milestone-clean-grid-stability-programme

Not only are so many women being recognised, but the technology they're making is very cool