Case Study - Babysteps 20+

Ensuring people with additional support needs have prospects for the world of work, Babysteps 20+, a registered charity in Falkirk, enlisted the help of the Scottish Tech Army in order to help promote their social enterprise, a community shop selling pre-loved baby and toddler items.

Babysteps 20+ was developed from a social enterprise called Nursery Needs, which was established by Watch Us Grow, a charity based in Cumbernauld providing paid employment opportunities for people with additional support needs, something that is somewhat scarce in the central belt of Scotland. Upon relocating to Falkirk, Nursery Needs was renamed Babysteps 20+, to signify that it is hoped the enterprise will continue beyond 2021 and thrive despite the pandemic. Babysteps manager Ann McCulloch discovered the STA through a meeting with Employability Network Scotland, where the Tech Army presented the work it does to help digitise the third sector. She contacted the STA to ask for advice on how to set up a website. 

“Babysteps 20+ three aims are to provide paid employment, divert waste from landfill and help families on low income, and I think we do all of those. We understood that being online is necessary if you are building an association, not only a social enterprise. We need to be out there one way or another.“ The shop is a much-loved asset to the community in Falkirk, and Ann believes that, as with any business or charity, being online can help boost customer numbers and get the word out there. However, Ann’s confidence to work with digital applications was low.

“Running the shop, supporting everyone who works here and making sure the quality of the stock is as high as possible is a full-time job. Getting headspace to develop a website and an online shop was beyond my capabilities.”

Thanks to the help of the STA, Babysteps 20+ is now able to advertise and sell the items they sell online as well as letting customers see the diverse range of baby and toddler supplies they offer in-store.

Ann described the support she received from the STA as very positive. As a result, her digital confidence has been boosted and she feels optimistic that the social enterprise will grow and flourish. STA Volunteer Ewan Cameron worked with Ann to show her step by step how to work the programs, and she found what she learned very beneficial for the long term.

Ewan, a highly experience digital consultant, who also supported the early growth of the STA has since gone on to join the charity as a Trustee.  Ewan thoroughly enjoyed supporting the Babysteps 20+ team on their digital journey delivering an online shop with PayPal integration and the toolset to promote the site. 

Ann concluded by saying “The STA were very happy to support us in identifying what we needed, which was great. Ewan, who worked with us, is such a star. It was a friendly, supportive engagement that was really valuable for us.”