The Choices Boutique at KXC

At the back of the coffee house fronting King’s Cross Church in Islington, there is a small storage room that has been converted into what looks like a walk-in wardrobe or even a little shop. On the right-hand side, the wall has been fitted with clothing rails and drawers that display knitted cardis, colourful onesies, and fluffy pram coats. On the left-hand side, large shelves have been installed to hold prams, slings, and Moses baskets. This is the Choices baby bank (“the Boutique”), and it is a core part of the charity’s offering to vulnerable new parents, who may not be able to afford the necessary clothing and equipment, which babies need from day one of life.

I have come here to meet Choices’ CEO, Sophie, and the Boutique Manager, Marianne. Over a cup of tea, they explain to me how the Boutique functions.

The Boutique opens every Monday and serves clients on an appointment-only basis. Typically, Marianne will see up to eight clients in a day – with each client receiving 1-2-1 support during their 45-minutes appointment. The aim of this time is to equip new parents (particularly mothers) with the key items they will need during baby’s first weeks and months of life – but also to check in with them pastorally and to offer additional, holistic support where this may be needed.

For this reason, Choices particularly values working in collaboration with churches. One of the things Marianne particularly appreciates about being based out of KXC is that Boutique is surrounded by a ready-made community. The Boutique’s opening hours overlap with the timings of the church’s toddler group, where new parents are able spend time before or after their visit – with the invitation to find further support within the church. Moreover, the Sunday congregation (of which Sophie is a member) have been active volunteers in donating items and sorting through them.

KXC’s Mission Partner, Zach, also regards the partnership as a great blessing.

I honestly couldn’t imagine King’s House without Choices in the space,” he comments. “Choices brings us into real proximity with people who are struggling — single mothers, young parents, families who often feel overlooked. It helps us be the kind of church we’re called to be.

As I chat more with Sophie, I learn that the Boutique is only one facet of the charity’s work. Choices’ raison d’être is to support women in need during pregnancy, pregnancy loss, and early parenthood. Counselling is a major part of this, and women are able to access support from Choices’ counsellors through:

• Unplanned pregnancy counselling
• Post-abortion and miscarriage counselling
• Counselling for pregnancy and after birth
• Child separation counselling
• And prison counselling

In addition to this, Choices makes an offering to all new parents by regularly facilitating the “Circle of Security Parenting Course.” Over eight sessions, this in-person and online course creates space for parents and caregivers to explore how they can best support their children through the lens of attachment theory – the belief behind this being that, if children develop healthy bonds during childhood, they will do better in life and in their relationships.

In this season, Choices is looking to expand its relationships with London churches to provide more support to higher numbers of new parents. There are multiple ways of partnering with Choices on different elements of their offering, as Stepney churches are already aware.

(Left: Hope Church Islington. Right: St Mary Hornsey Rise.)

Mary Roberts is the Community Outreach Manager at Hope Church Islington. She explains to me that Hope has been supporting Choices for a number of years now in different ways. This has included financial and practical support – through taking collections at carol services, and Boutique donations on Mothering Sunday – and even running a buggy drive! Although Hope does not have sufficient space to host its own Boutique, it has nevertheless been sharing space with Choices by providing buggy storage and rooms for Choices’ trainings to run (including free of charge).

Tamsin Merchant is the vicar at St Mary Hornsey Rise and a long-term supporter of Choices – she was, in fact, on the board of trustees for six years. She explains to me:

As a church, we have supported Choices in a number of ways: through prayer, financially as a mission partner with annual giving, and by participating in their gatherings. We have also been privileged to welcome Sophie to preach at St Mary’s. She holds preaches with both prophetic imagination and pastoral care, communicating with clarity and depth about the theology of God’s care and the purpose of Choices.

We regularly signpost parents to the Boutique. Although we considered hosting a Boutique ourselves, we have found it more effective to direct both families and donations to the Kings Cross Boutique, where there are a well-trained team of volunteers equipped to support those we refer.

We are also exploring the possibility of hosting a Circle of Security parenting course, with the hope that it would offer meaningful support to families in our community.”