BBF Blog

Every company has the ability to inspire its employees and to change its local community for the better.

Surlender Pendress, Owner of Love Writing Co has recently donated age-appropriate stationery to go inside Buddy Bags to ensure 3-5 and 6-9 years olds have some activities that can keep them occupied and a way to distract themselves during their time at refugee centres across the UK.

Can you join us to help mark our special festive milestone?

By Linda Aitchison
A gripping new crime drama series starring Line of Duty’s Martin Compston and Cheat’s Molly Windsor is set to hit our TV screens.
Molly is already known for tackling harrowing parts — from a grooming victim in Three Girls, to the disturbingly ambitious Rose in Cheat.
But did you know that the 22-year-old Bafta award-winner has another role she treasures just as much?
That’s supporting The Buddy Bag Foundation.
We grabbed five minutes with her to find out more.
Q: Why do you support the Buddy Bag Foundation?
A: I support The Buddy Bag Foundation because the personal act of kindness, of giving a child a buddy bag, is invaluable when they are arriving into emergency care. These few essentials aim to help towards restoring their sense of security in what may be a very confusing and scary time for a child.
Q: What made you get involved?
A: I heard about the scheme though the passion of the volunteers who told me about the great work the charity was doing. After attending a bag packing I saw what a positive thing it was for everyone involved.
Q: How are you able to support the charity?
A: The charity is supported by everyone’s belief in the work they are doing. Together, I hope that by talking about their work we encourage people to donate their time or products or money we can make sure that these children receive the kindness that so many of us want to show them in a difficult time.
Q: Is there anyone in your own life or you have got to know through your work that has been in such a desperate situation where a Buddy Bag may have been a great thing to receive?
A: I think it’s easy to see everyone needs some kindness when they are going through a tough time; it is so difficult for these children who may not understand the situation fully but still feel the effects of it. A Buddy Bag is a brilliant gift as it offers essentials like toiletries and offers that little bit of support that is specific for children in emergency care.
Q: Having played such hard-hitting roles in Three Girls and Cheat, can you think of any parallels with the work of the Buddy Bag Foundation and how this can help you see the organisation is making a real difference to children and women fleeing domestic violence?
A: It is so important to support women that are fleeing domestic violence. Depending on the situation, recognising domestic violence and then finding the courage to flee is a huge step to make which I think needs to be met with nothing but support. Buddy Bags are a basic step of necessary care that makes a huge difference in the lives of these women and their children.

Q: Do you find this a rewarding role?
A: The BBF does show you the impact that the bags have on the children through the postcards they can send back. I know this reaffirms the belief myself, the volunteers, and the charity are making a difference to these people’s lives at a difficult time. I support charities because I think their work is necessary, I would say I find the roles make me more driven to continue aiding their work in any way I can to make sure it continues.

A massive thanks to Molly for her time and support with this interview.
• Alibi’s first original drama series Traces will premiere on Monday, December 9 at 9pm, with the second episode airing the following day.

A Buddy Bag Pack at Birmingham City Football Club to educate the students in the work we do and to pack 180 bags.

How wonderful to support The Buddy Bag Foundation, a Charity exceeding its targets and setting new challenging goals- making the difference to children in emergency care!

Alexion Pharma UK

Alexion is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on serving patients and families affected by rare diseases through the discovery, development and commercialisation of life-changing therapies.

Alexion’s ambition is to be the global leader in rare diseases, an audacious goal for sure.
Serving patients with rare diseases and their families is their unwavering mission. Often, these diseases have limited or no treatment options and can leave patients and their families feeling isolated and alone. Every day they are inspired to find answers that will transform the lives of patients with rare disease and the generations that follow.

They never shy away from daunting challenges because they’re fighting for patients who often have no other options – many of whom are infants and children.

They are building a rewarding place to work where people are empowered to make a difference. Their legacy will be measured in the families they serve today and the generations that follow.

On Thursday 19th September, friends, ambassadors, sponsors and supporters of The Buddy Bag Foundation came together at the Harvestfields Centre in Sutton Coldfield to celebrate both the brilliant achievements of key fundraisers in the Buddy Bag Foundation this year and reaching the unbelievable milestone of recently packing our 20,200th Buddy Bag, a whole year earlier…

In each and every one of our Buddy Bags, there has always been a “Buddy,” a beautiful cuddly toy that is the first thing children and parents find when the Buddy Bag is opened when they reach the refuge at a time when everything in life is uncertain. A time when the relief of escaping…

A recent Polish has been released from U.K. business Nail Artisan Cosmetics with 33% of sales being donated to the Buddy Bag Foundation.

Celebrating the BBF 100th bag pack, plus facts, figures and reasons to join BBF as a volunteer.

If you are a business considering supporting Buddy Bag you might be thinking “what can we really do to help?”.  Let me tell you what we have done at Four Oaks Financial Services to support Karen, Chris and all the fantastic volunteers who make Buddy Bag the amazing success it is and help so many…

This year’s Access Self Storage Christmas campaign was a great success – and a huge thank you to the Buddy Bag Foundation for their donations.

December 25th is creeping ever closer and if you’re anything like me, you are probably fairly frazzled at the thought of choosing those last minute gifts let alone finding the time to sit down and write the ever increasing list of Christmas cards.

A GROUP of mums have come together to give practical help to kids whose lives have been turned upside down by domestic violence.

Watching the work of The Buddy Bag Foundation through social media only gives you a glimpse of the work that goes on behind the scenes. Since it’s inception in 2015, its mission is to support 20,200 children fleeing domestic violence by 2020. On Thursday 20th September, at the 15,000 Bag Celebrations and Awards Ceremony, we could see how far the charity has come in such a short time.

As we enter the final quarter of 2018, Escape Time have chosen to partner up with The Buddy Bag Foundation as their chosen charity. Selecting our charities is a careful process, there are some that are just close to our hearts and others that we find from the local area (as much as possible). The Buddy Bag Foundation was…

After more than a fortnight keeping quiet we can now reveal the huge honour of Karen Williams reaching the final of Lorraine Kelly’s Woman of the Year competition. How exciting is that? Karen is one of just three brilliantly inspirational finalists chosen by judges for the annual competition run by the breakfast TV favourite. The…

Karen Williams, the founder of the Buddy Bag Foundation is an inspiration. I met her at the end of 2016 at a local networking meeting in Cannock. She came to speak to us about the work that the Buddy Bag Foundation does but she was also on a mission. As Karen was explaining about what…

You know when you hear about something new and it just knocks you sideways in the best possible way? Something that just makes you think “why has no one thought of this before?” Well, I’m pleased to say I had one of those moments recently at a networking event when I met the founder of…

Carousel is delighted to continue its support for the Buddy Bag Foundation; an inspiring charity that supplies essential items to children who arrive in emergency accommodation. Having begun working with Buddy Bags back in April 2016 Carousel is so pleased to see the charity continue to go from strength to strength. On a monthly basis,…

When you are a Business Owner it can give you freedom in lots of ways. It can give you the perfect opportunity to support your community in ways that you choose and are personal to you. There are many amazing charitable causes all around the UK and sometimes it is difficult to know who you may…

Have you heard of the Buddy Bag Foundation? This remarkable grass-roots charity, helps children who have fled domestic violence. And they do it in the most simple but magical way. You can read all about its work in this article by founder Karen Williams in Standard Issue magazine. Volunteers (including me!) pack bags full of…