Tell me about your connection to Birth Companions
I started with Birth Companions as a volunteer and did the birth support training. The first woman I supported didn't have anything for her baby. Afterwards I asked the other volunteers if they had baby clothes or equipment, and people brought things in, but it all felt a bit chaotic.
Around the same time I visited an exhibition in Paris by the artist Christian Boltanski. He had created an installation with shelves full of children's clothes. I remember thinking, I could turn my art studio into somewhere people bring things and others take what they need.
That became PramDepot. I received Arts Council funding, opened the studio and, through Birth Companions and word of mouth, we were inundated with donations. What began as an art project quickly became something much bigger.
During COVID, we developed the Baby Box model that now supports around 400 to 500 women each year. Birth Companions was there throughout that journey. We worked alongside each other, sharing ideas and people.
Our histories are really intertwined. Birth Companions gave me the training and way of thinking that shaped everything we've built at PramDepot.
Is there a particular moment that has stayed with you?
The biggest influence wasn't one person but the approach I learnt through Birth Companions. The trauma-informed training made us think carefully about how support feels for the person receiving it. We wanted every Baby Box to feel like a gift rather than a handout.
One mother from Eritrea told us that opening her box felt like receiving a present from her own mum because she had no family here. That really stayed with me. It's why every box includes something handmade by volunteers. Those small acts of care matter just as much as the practical items inside.
What still needs to change for the women and babies Birth Companions works alongside?
Every baby should have the same start in life.
I'd love every family in England to receive a Baby Box, as they do in Scotland, and women with no recourse to public funds to receive the same financial support during pregnancy as everyone else.
I also don't believe women should be in prison while they're pregnant, and they certainly shouldn't be giving birth in prison.
What feels unique or special about Birth Companions and its work?
When I first heard about Birth Companions it was because they supported pregnant women in prison. The image of a woman shackled during labour was something I couldn't get out of my mind.
What makes Birth Companions special is that they see the whole person. They're incredibly forward-thinking, from their wraparound support to the way they centre lived experience. Those values influenced PramDepot from the beginning.
Finish this sentence: "Birth Companions is..."
Birth Companions is a very special organisation.
Thousands of women have benefited from its support, but so have volunteers and staff. I loved being part of a team wholly committed to supporting women and each other.
I'd also like to thank founder Denise Marshall. She helped shape the way I think about supporting people, and I still carry that into PramDepot today.
Tell us about the object you've chosen and how it connects to your story...
I've chosen one of our Baby Boxes because it represents PramDepot and everything that grew from my time with Birth Companions.
PramDepot wouldn't exist without Birth Companions. The box represents how practical support, given with dignity and kindness, can change the start of someone's parenting journey.
PramDepot closes in December 2026 after more than a decade of supporting families. Karen is proud that its legacy will continue through the growing network of baby banks it helped inspire. PramDepot's remaining equipment and supplies will be donated to organisations including Little Village, Happy Baby Community and other members of the Baby Bank Alliance, ensuring they continue to reach families who need them, while the organisation's learning, policies and approach will be shared so others can build on its work.
