As UK child poverty continues to rise, IKEA partners with Baby Bank Alliance to fight for the “right to play”

Today, 4.5 million children in the UK are living in poverty. ¹ According to realities seen by baby banks every day, behind these numbers are parents forced into impossible choices, such as rationing nappies and choosing between switching on the heating and buying food. Meanwhile, baby banks are facing ever-growing demand for help, with recent data showing a 35% increase in the number of families seeking help from baby banks in just a year. ²  

In 2025, the UK’s 400+ baby banks were a lifeline for families in need, providing fundamental essentials such as cots, buggies, clothing, nappies, toiletries and more. Baby banks act as essential bridges between hardship and hope, supporting over 220,000 struggling families by gifting more than 3.5 million items in 2024 – a 151% increase compared to 1.2 million in 2023. However, 2 in 3 baby banks are still struggling to meet demand. ²

With over 80 years of expertise in Life at Home, IKEA understands that a child's foundation is built within the comfort and safety of their home. IKEA’s global Play Report reveals that 90% of children feel happier when they play. ³ Yet, for the 4.5 million children currently living in poverty, and 1 million children facing destitution in the UK, when a home lacks essentials like heat, clothing, or food, the foundation for play is a luxury they might struggle to afford. This is highlighted by the 242,000 toys that baby banks gave out to families in 2024 ². 

To help bridge this gap, and bring play into more children’s lives, IKEA will donate £1 from every sale of its new 33-piece GREJSIMOJS collection to the Baby Bank Alliance, working to ensure more families with babies and children have more of the essentials they need to thrive.

The GREJSIMOJS collection is designed to spark joy, often significantly impacted by the challenges that poverty brings. Each item embodies IKEA’s belief that play is essential for everyone, at every age. From a giraffe lamp and a toothy storage pouffe to a furry MAMMUT chair cover and imaginative building blocks - GREJSIMOJS aims to make play accessible and enjoyable. 

IKEA is proud to stand with the Baby Bank Alliance in highlighting the importance of early years support and the essential role baby banks play in helping families facing hardship. The campaign aims to help build awareness and encourage greater community support across the UK.

IKEA’s donation will support the Baby Bank Alliance’s work with baby banks across the UK, helping families access essential items when they need them most. IKEA stores are also twinned with local baby banks to build meaningful relationships and create impact at a local level by donating products, employee time and expertise.

At Little Village, London’s largest network of baby banks, a large proportion of the cots, toddler beds, highchairs and other baby kit are pre-loved IKEA products which go on to be re-loved by families living in poverty. Designed to last and adapt to different stages of family life, many IKEA products continue their journey by supporting families in practical, everyday ways - from SAMLA boxes used for storage, to FRAKTA bags helping deliver carefully prepared bundles of essentials.

The Baby Bank Alliance supports and advocates for the 400+ baby banks across the UK that provide essential items for babies and children, free of charge, to families in need.

The Alliance also works to raise awareness of the challenges faced by families living in poverty. From 1st February – 26th April, £1 from each sale of the GREJSIMOJS range will go to the Baby Bank Alliance, who support UK baby banks working to ensure more babies and children have the essentials they need to thrive.

Read more at IKEA.co.uk/babybankalliance

Background to IKEA’s partnership with the Baby Bank Alliance

IKEA was a founding member of The Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood, convened by The Princess of Wales in 2023, to galvanise business action on early childhood, create a happier and more productive workforce today, and transform the health and wellbeing of the UK economy and society for generations to come. 

As part of this mission, IKEA formed a partnership with the Baby Bank Alliance in 2024. Across the country IKEA stores are partnered with local baby banks, giving product donations and co-worker time for volunteering. The launch of the SKOGSDUVA children’s range in 2024 raised £132,333 for the Baby Bank Alliance.

_{Notes to editors}

_{¹ Data from the DWP, Households Below Average Income: an analysis of the UK income distribution: FYE 1995 to FYE 2024}

_{² Data from the Baby Bank Alliance Annual Survey, submitted by 148 baby banks in the UK in 2025, reporting on 2024 figures.}  

_{³ Research conducted by IKEA as part of the IKEA Play Report, surveying 7,000 children and their parents from seven different countries.}