Basingstoke family support charity The Safe opens kitchen

The Safe, in Winchester Street, at the Top of Town, has been offering valuable support to parents and children since 2011.

With toddler groups, emotional support for pregnancy and pregnancy loss, a baby store providing free clothes, and a hub for fathers, the charity works hard to help those in the town, and beyond through difficult times. Find out more by visiting: the-safe.org.uk/.

Now, The Safe has improved its services by officially opening a kitchen on Friday, November 21, with the Mayor of Basinstoke and Deane, Cllr Colin Phillimore, cutting the ribbon.

Ayliffe Taylor, from Tadley, the coordinator at The Safe, said: "The money that has allowed us to build the kitchen was provided by Margaret Moore, who was a volunteer in this organisation a long time ago

"She and her husband were never blessed with children of their own, but when she died, she left legacy amounts of money to lots of charities.

"We couldn't have opened it without her generosity, and that's why we are naming the kitchen the Margaret Moore Room."

Mrs Taylor said that she hopes the new facility will "make a difference to lots of families."

The Safe, which got its name because the building it is based in used to be a bank, provides free meals every Wednesday and at weekends. It also hosts a toddler group every Wednesday.

While The Safe runs entirely on donations and Margaret Moore's legacy, several groups use the space inside, including the young person's support charity, No Limits, and toddler group Hope for Carers.

Steve and Ayliffe Taylor work to provide support for families att The Safe (Image: Newsquest)

Mrs Taylor added: "Lots of NHS services access our site. The building is owned by our landlord, and we provide facilities for other groups who need them.

"We support vulnerable families in the area, and we have no criteria other than a need for help.

"We run a completely free baby store that provides clothing and equipment for children aged from 0 to 14 years. In the last two weeks, we have fulfilled 45 clients in need of it."

Ayliffe explained that she became involved with The Safe after coming there for support herself.

She said: "It's a weird story, I live next door to the lady who used to be the coordinator, and the landlord roped my dad into helping with the charity building project.

"I helped out by painting walls and fitting toilets, and I had a second child just as the project was finishing.

"The coordinator said, 'Would you be able to come along and help out a bit?' But the reason for this was that she had noticed that I had postnatal depression and if I hadn't accepted her invitation, then I wouldn't have the confidence that I do today. Now I just want to take that blessing and pass it onto others."

Mayor of Basingstoke, cllr Colin Phillimore, cuts the ribbon (Image: Newsquest)

Mrs Taylor's role initially involved making crafts in toddler groups, and she has since become in in charge of the whole building.

She explained that all staff and volunteers have come up through the organisation "in some way or another."

The Safe also provides pregnancy crisis and support services, plus talk therapy for people in situations that they aren't expecting, as well as post-abortion support.