Posted: 09 Oct. 2017 8 min. read

You can change lives... by changing how you spend

When you become a parent, it changes you.

I was always aware of child poverty as I am half Brazilian. When I visited family in Rio, I remember seeing that there were children my age growing up on the streets. It had a profound effect on me.

I spent much of my career as an accountant doing pro bono work and when that did not feel like enough, I moved to the charity sector working in international development, which took me all over the world to some amazing places and enabled me to learn about many global issues and solutions. However, it was only when I became a parent that I had my idea to help change the lives of orphaned and abandoned children.

I had already studied a management degree, like an MBA for people in the charity sector, through which I learned about social enterprise business models, which I find incredibly exciting and powerful, with huge potential to effect social change. With my new-born son in my arms, I watched desperately vulnerable children on TV in a campaign to raise funds for a children’s charity…and I started to cry. And that was when I put two and two together….and thought about how the baby gifts I had received and the lovely clothes I had bought, could help children in need..

The beauty of a social enterprise is that it is a win/win.

You do not have to give up your job and start your own business, like I did. All you have to do is make a purchasing decision. Instead of one brand, you buy another – of the same price, with the same quality and with just one difference. The profits will go to help the less fortunate.

The gorgeous, premium, organic baby clothes that we make at From Babies with Love are often bought as presents… in fact when an employee at Deloitte UK has a baby, they receive one of our gift sets as a gift from Deloitte. The firm's parental gifting service has directly supported over 2,000 children to date, with 673 gifts being sent in the last year. The gift is a simple, heart-warming way for Deloitte to show its appreciation for their employee, their celebration of the big change happening in that employees life, and a tangible expression of Deloitte’s values and culture.

From Babies with Love has already helped thousands of babies and children who have lost their parents through war, famine, disease or poverty; supporting them to live in new family homes, and helping fund local nursery schools, run by our partner charities. And as our social enterprise grows, we will be able to help many more.

On Social Saturday, the 14th October, the public is being urged to shop from social enterprises like From Babies with Love – helping to make a difference.

It is such a simple thing to do. To find out how go to socialenterprise.org.uk.

To read the business case for From Babies with Love’s Parental Leave Gift Service visit www.frombabieswithlove.org/corporate

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Key contact

Kate Condon

Kate Condon

Manager

Kate is a Manager in the Responsible Business team working with our charities, schools and social enterprises as part of One Million Futures. Kate drives communications and marketing initiatives to build the profile of One Million Futures both internally and externally.