Our Story

About BabyGROE

BabyGROE (Green, Recycled, Organic, Ethical) is a registered natural parenting charity that promotes information to new mums through a free annual magazine and website of the same name. The magazine goes out to mothers-to-be, via their midwives and also other outlets.

BabyGROE Format

The BabyGROE magazine is a 52 page full colour, A5 magazine produced in 20 regional variations covering the whole of the mainland UK. The current annual magazine distribution is 500,000.

Aims

BabyGROE exists to promote the use of real nappies, the practice of breastfeeding and other nature-friendly parenting techniques. Editorial is backed up with national and regional advertising, but advertisers must fall within a strict ethical code. The editorial covers topics from organic box schemes to recycling ideas and features ethically sound products and practices.

Beginnings

BabyGROE was born out of a friendship forged between two first time mums, Sue Oak and Lynoa Cattanach who met in 2001 when their daughters were just months old. Some months later on a visit to Lynoa’s house Sue was stunned to stumble upon Lynoa washing nappies and was at pains to point out that, in fact, things had moved on a tad and that disposable nappies were actually, the new thing… It was then Sue’s turn to be put in the picture as Lynoa demonstrated just how much nappy technology had moved on since the days of terry squares. There followed a demo on shaped nappies, prefolded cloth nappies, wraps, fleece and degradable liners in various colours and fastenings together with directions for laundering and a breakdown on costs. Not one to enjoy being in the dark about anything, an increasingly annoyed Sue asked why she didn’t know about such alternatives. Lynoa agreed that she herself had found it really frustrating having to track down all the information she wanted and pointed out how good it would have been to have been able to find all this information in one place. It was then; in the spring of 2002, that they proposed to start a magazine to promote messages that were obviously not getting through to new parents via the usual channels.

Toddling along

Lynoa’s background in organic agriculture coupled with Sue’s sound business skills (she was a company director of ten years before starting BabyGROE), ensured that the company had a firm foundation. A successful application to Scotland UnLTD proved a winning move both financially and through the great personal support they lent to the start up company. Later on, they also found financial support in the shape of the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and from current sponsors DEFRA via the Environmental Action Fund. This recognition finally allowed BabyGROE the financial security to become the thriving charity it is today.

Firmer steps

BabyGROE is still parent-led and employs around a dozen staff, mostly parents themselves, who all work on a part-time family friendly basis. In 2005 the project won the Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice. Readers, both of the magazine and the website, are encouraged to feed back their ideas and comments to BabyGROE via the wide use of surveys, competitions, product trials and online discussion forums.

The main aim of BabyGROE remains to make natural alternatives, a natural choice.