A MUM from North Yorkshire who has developed her own brand of baby boxes is helping refugees in Greece.

Toni Kitchen set up the Arvossa brand, the largest UK-based baby box supplier to the public and private sector, and was approached by a church in Scotland, whose parishioners wanted to send practical help to refugees in the Mediterranean.

Toni, from Harrogate, said: “Our brand is well known for its high safety standards and this was one factor that led them to approach us.

“In Scotland every new baby receives a baby box from the government which is why the church in Glasgow and its congregation were aware of the concept and its benefits.”

The baby box concept started in Finland as way to reduce infant mortality from one of the highest to one of the lowest in the world, and is fast replacing the traditional Moses basket in the UK.

Toni said: “The baby box is a safe and secure first bed for a baby and the fact that it is lightweight and practical will hopefully make it ideal for use in refugee areas.

“The boxes have been sent from Harrogate to the United Free Church in Scotland where volunteers have arranged for them to be transported overseas to arrive before Christmas.”