The Hillingdon Baby Box: Foundational Support for 375 Families
As part of their Best Start in Life strategy in 2026 to provide free support, early education, and health services for families withchildren aged 0 to 5, Hillingdon Council contracted FMI to source, design anddeliver 375 Baby Boxes - The first project of its kind for the Borough.
Like our previous Baby Box projects, the challenge here was clear from the start: mobilise a programme involving procuring 8,250 products within agreed timelines and ensuring compliance and integration with Local Authority & NHS systems.
Designed for care-experienced parents, young parents (under 25), families with no recourse to public funds, or those supported by Family Help practitioners, we created a digital referral form allowing direct submission between 32 weeks of pregnancy and 4 weeks post-birth by CNWL NHS, The Hillingdon Hospital, Home-Start, or Hillingdon council colleagues.
Our digital solution is complete with ISO 27001 certified hosting and encryption, ensuring absolute data security and compliance from the first touchpoint. As we have developed with previous public sector partners, our system also provides Hillingdon Council with live dashboard reporting, giving instant, real-time visibility into registration numbers, delivery statuses, and geographical uptake, all summarised without compromising personal data.
Beyond this, our creative team worked alongside Hillingdon Council to develop a bespoke visual identity for the project, creating a truly unique and authentic look and feel for inspired by the Borough of Hillingdon itself. From the Grand Union canal, the iconic Heathrow airport, local homes and nature, and a series of milestone cards wrapping around the exterior in the style of old airplane tickets, we developed a one of a kind box designed to look like a warm welcoming gift for families from Hillingdon Council.
The project successfully launched on 28th August, marking the beginning of exciting new journeys for new families all around Hillingdon.
Photos from the Launch Event
The first boxes were presented to local families by Cllr Susan O’Brien, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Adults, Children, Health and Care at a launch event at West Drayton Family Hub today (Thursday 27 August).
Read more about the launch on the Hillingdon Council website.
"The play packs were highly valued by schools... indicating strong positive impact. Schools highlighted how positive it was for the children and families receiving the packs... and felt that the play packs meet the needs of a wide variety of children, including those with additional needs."
As the first local authority in England to deliver a borough‑wide play pack scheme of this scale, we were undertaking something genuinely new, and FMI met that challenge with professionalism, care and expertise throughout. The team successfully sourced and distributed over 4,000 play packs across more than 55 schools, managing every stage of the process with precision to ensure all packs were delivered on time. We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from schools, parents and children, both on the quality of the packs and the smoothness of delivery. Thanks to FMI’s commitment and collaborative approach, we were able to reach thousands of families and actively support children’s play and movement across the borough.
Wandsworth Council
What we delivered
The key outcomes of this project
Delivered 375 Bespoke Boxes
Successfully mobilised large-scale procurement and distribution to equip vulnerable and priority families with vital early-years resources under the Best Start in Life strategy.
Streamlined Multi-Agency Referrals
Implemented an ISO 27001 certified, encrypted digital submission system that enabled seamless cross-organizational collaboration across CNWL NHS, Hillingdon Hospital, Home-Start, and LBH workers.
Live, Data-driven Project Visibility
Provided council stakeholders with a real-time reporting dashboard to monitor registration volumes, geographical uptake, and delivery statuses without compromising personal data.