Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

When I came across the work that Little Village do I was stunned. It’s like a foodbank, but instead of food, it offers essential items like clothing, books, toys and baby equipment to parents in need, right across London. It’s frankly alarming that thousands of families need to rely on ‘hand me downs’ and the good will of other people to barely survive. This is just for essential items. I am saddened that in this day and age tiny babies and children under 5 are going without the most basic of items right here in London, items I completely took for granted when I was pregnant and during the early years of my children growing up. 

Can you imagine trying to breastfeed your little one without any breast pads to pop in after? Or not having enough nappies? Imagine not being able to clothe your children appropriately. Imagine trying to entertain your smallest children without the most basic of toys or books? 

This is where I think I can make a small difference. As part of my ongoing #asyouaremotherhood campaign across Instagram and Facebook, I'm celebrating and highlighting those of us (silent) women heroes, who everyday, do all we can to provide for our children and to be the best mothers we can be.

There is such a pressure for us mums to be perfect: we all strive for perfection everyday when the reality is, perfection doesn't exist.

We all worry, are anxious about whether we're doing the right thing for our unborn baby or the children we already have. We can look at others and think they're somehow doing it better than us, and feel like we've failed.

We must change our attitudes and change the way we treat ourselves.

That's why I'm giving away a limited number of mother and baby photoshoots to celebrate how amazing and unique we are as mothers, how we ARE doing all we can to help our children. 

And that our best is good enough. We are good enough.

Through this project, I can ask pregnant women and mums to come into my studio, get a fabulous photoshoot to show how fabulous they are (just as they are without the need for fancy or OTT props) - and spread the word about self-love and acceptance. 

And then in return all I'd ask is a contribution to Little Village.

This is my way to give back to some struggling families on my own doorstep? Little Village does just that; giving the gift of the most basic but essential things to babies and children who really need them. 

As their website says: “It takes a village to raise a child - this is especially true in London where we often feel alone as parents.

“Little Village is a gift from one family to another, passed on with love.”

If I ask each of my photography clients to donate, say, just £20 to this cause, I would forgo my booking fee of usually £95. Clients could of course donate more if they wish or were able to, but I thought this would be an excellent start. 

So if you're keen to book a Maternity or Baby photoshoot with me, I’ll direct you to this page where you can donate what you can and then we’ll see what happens. Things will snowball from there. Let’s do this together and be part of something hopeful to change the world we live in, right on our doorsteps.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.