About Pelican Parcels

Pelican Parcels is Brighton & Hove's Baby Bank, providing essential items for babies and children aged 0 to 16 to families who need support.

The charity began in 2018 when our wonderful founders Shelley and James Bennett tried to donate their own baby items and discovered there was no local service able to receive pre-loved items and redistribute them to families that needed them. Recognising the need, they set out to create that service and called it Pelican Parcels.

Our vision is a community where every family has the essentials their children need to grow, play and thrive.

Thanks to the generosity of our community, since 2018 we have:

Worked with over 150 referral partners, including schools, health professionals, the council, community organisations and other charities, to provide practical support for families living in poverty.
Delivered over 30,000 parcels of essential items to children and families across Brighton & Hove.
Supported over 25,000 families to get the essential items they need for their children.
Gifted over 100,000 items of pre-loved clothing to babies and children.

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Our work is powered by a brilliant staff team and over 70 volunteers. Without their talent, commitment and generosity, we simply wouldn’t be able to provide the support we do.

Elaine

Head of Operations

Elaine makes sure everything in the warehouse is working efficiently, that we have everything we need, that processes and training are in place amongst many, many other things. She’s got a big heart, a sharp sense of humour, and a serious knack for getting things done.

Julia

Events and Communities Coordinator

Julia looks after our events and makes sure we are regularly in touch with all the communities that we collaborate with. She is often out and about chatting to people and helping them find out more about Pelican.

Lucy

Operations Coordinator

Lucy is the calm at the centre of the parcel-packing storm. Kind, gentle and endlessly patient, Lucy keeps our volunteers on track making sure parcels are ready to go.

Donna

Administrator

Donna is the vital link between our referrers and the warehouse. She keeps requests organised and flowing. She’s generous, thoughtful and full of ideas.

Evie

Fundraising Manager

Evie is skilled in sharing our mission and values with the wider community. she brings in vital funding that keeps us going. Supportive and focused, she’s driven towards our future.

Hannah

Volunteer Coordinator

Hannah brings new people into the Pelican Parcels family, making sure they feel welcome, supported, and ready to get involved. From admin to training, she keeps everything on track and helps everyone feel part of the team.

Lee

Building and Maintenance Supervisor

Lee keeps the warehouse ship shape and seaworthy. Conscientious and dedicated, he moves mountains to maintain a Pelican nest we can be proud of.

Maira

Marketing and Communications Manager

Maira is our language guru, making sure everyone understands our brand, marketing and the everything makes sense. She is a new mum and a whizz at all things community engagement and strategy.

Colin

Marketing and Communications Coordinator

Colin is the creative brain behind our social media and marketing endeavours, helping share our story. Kind, funny and creative, Colin helps bring our work to life and engage our community.

Shelley

Co-founder & Trustee

Shelley co-founded Pelican Parcels in 2018 alongside her husband James when they realised there was nowhere they could donate their cherished baby items. Her trustee responsibilities include leading the organisation on a day-to-day basis and strategic development.

James

Co-founder & Chair of Trustees

James is husband to Shelley. James has worked in Asset Management for nearly 30 years, his trustee specialisms include governance, legal and risk.

Debby

Trustee & Treasurer

Master of all things money at Pelican Parcels. A Chartered Accountant running her own successful business, the wonderful Debby joined as Treasurer in 2023.

Sarah

Trustee

Alongside being a Trustee of Pelican Parcels, Sarah’s day job is CEO of Friends Family & Travellers, a charity combating discrimination and supporting nomadic lifestyles. Sarah brings strength in planning, governance and operations to the Board.

Pelican Parcels is made up of a diverse group of people, who pool their skills, experience and energy to make a difference in our community.

We’re so very proud of the impact we have. We’re powered by community spirit, and work collaboratively to solve challenges and keep Pelican Parcels flying.

We’re not currently recruiting for any staff roles. Please keep an eye on our social media channels, where we share all of our latest updates and opportunities.

There are other ways to get involved! Discover how you can support Pelican Parcels as a volunteer.

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