Donate Kids Items in Melbourne: How Your Donations Help Local Children
If you have quality children’s items your family no longer needs, you can donate them to Big Group Hug and help provide practical support to Melbourne children and families experiencing hardship.
From newborns to 16-year-olds, Big Group Hug collects and distributes essential items including clothing, prams, car seats, toiletries, nappies, books, toys and other children’s goods.
Your donation can help a local child access something they need today — while giving a quality item a second life and helping prevent usable goods from going to landfill.
Most-Needed Items
Wondering what you can donate? Big Group Hug accepts a wide range of quality children’s essentials, including:
Children’s clothing and shoes
Baby clothes
Prams and strollers
Cots and bassinets
Car seats and boosters
Highchairs and other children’s equipment
Toiletries and hygiene products
Nappies and wipes
Books, toys and activities
School and everyday essentials
The most useful donations are clean, safe and in good condition. Some items must meet specific Australian safety requirements before they can be passed on to a family.
Big Group Hug Donations
When you donate kids items to Big Group Hug, your items are put to practical use.
Our network of health, welfare and community professionals identifies children and families who need material support. We then work to fulfil those requests with suitable donated goods.
In the year ending 30 June 2026, Big Group Hug received 4,414 requests for material aid, involving 8,619 children.
That equates to an average of 718 children requesting support every month.
Local Donation Drop Off in Thomastown, Airport West, and Tarniet
Big Group Hug has a warehouse Thomastown and hubs in Airport West and Tarneit, making it possible for Melbourne families, community groups and businesses to donate locally.
Check our current opening hours before visiting, as warehouse hours can vary.
Support Local Melbourne Kids
When you donate kids items locally, your contribution can directly support children and families experiencing hardship across Melbourne.
In 2026, Big Group Hug received requests from 252 suburbs and 46 local government areas. While most requests came from metropolitan Melbourne, our support also reached families in regional Victoria.
Our Tarneit Hub now services 22% of requests, up from 12% in the previous year, reflecting the growing need across Melbourne’s western suburbs.
Donate Kids Items and Clothes
Children’s clothes are a practical and popular donation, particularly when they are clean, good quality and free from damage.
Families can move through baby, child, and teenage clothing sizes quickly, meaning quality pre-loved clothing can have plenty of useful life left in it.
Before donating, check that items are clean, wearable and suitable for another child.
Essentials for Kids in Need
Sometimes the most valuable donations are the everyday essentials.
A warm jumper. A pair of pyjamas. Nappies. A toothbrush. Toiletries. Underwear. Shoes.
For families struggling with rent, groceries and household bills, these costs can quickly become difficult to manage.
Providing these basics can ease immediate financial pressure and help children feel comfortable, clean, warm and ready to participate in everyday life.
Help Families Thrive Now
Material aid cannot solve every challenge a family is facing. But it can provide practical breathing room when families need it most.
When essential expenses are covered, parents can redirect limited money towards rent, food, bills and other urgent needs.
In the most recent reporting period, Big Group Hug saw a 9% increase in requests for material aid and a 12% increase in the number of children requesting support.
The need is growing. Your unwanted children’s items can help meet it.
Sustainable Kids Donations
Donating quality children’s goods is also a practical act of sustainability.
Children quickly outgrow clothing and equipment, even when those items still have plenty of useful life left. By passing them on, we can keep quality goods circulating rather than sending them to landfill.
Big Group Hug has diverted hundreds of tonnes of salvageable children’s items from landfill, giving those goods a second life with families who need them.
Help Newborns to Age 16
Did you know that 1 in 6 Australian children live in poverty?
Big Group Hug supports children from newborn to 16 years, so we need donations across every stage of childhood.
For babies, that might mean nappies, clothing, a pram or safe sleeping equipment.
For school-aged children, it could be clothing, shoes, books or activities.
For teenagers, toiletries, underwear, period products and larger clothing sizes can make a significant difference.
Every age has different needs — and every age needs support.
Give Items a Second Life
Before throwing away children’s items your family has outgrown, consider whether another child could use them.
That unused jacket could become someone’s winter coat.
Those baby clothes could dress another newborn.
A pram sitting in the garage could help another parent get their baby safely from A to B.
A board game could give a child an afternoon of play.
Giving items a second life keeps useful goods out of landfill and puts them where they are needed.
Melbourne Childrens Aid Charity
Did you know that 1 in 6 children in Australia live in poverty? Big Group Hug is a Melbourne children’s charity focused on meeting the immediate material needs of children and families experiencing hardship.
We work through a network of health, welfare, education and community professionals who refer families requiring practical assistance.
Our role is straightforward: collect quality goods, prepare them and get them to children who need them, when they need them.
The need is significant and continues to grow across Melbourne.
CSR & Volunteer Opportunities
Businesses can support Big Group Hug through donations, workplace collection drives, workplace volunteering, community drop-off points and corporate partnerships.
For businesses looking for meaningful CSR and volunteer opportunities in Melbourne, Big Group Hug provides a practical way to engage employees while supporting local children and families.
A workplace clothing or essentials drive can turn unused items into tangible community impact.
Urgent Hygiene Essentials
Hygiene products are everyday essentials, but they can become difficult expenses when a household is under financial pressure.
Big Group Hug receives requests for items including:
- Toothbrushes and toothpaste
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Soap and body wash
- Deodorant
- Period products
- Nappies and wipes
These products need to be replaced regularly, and the cost adds up quickly across a whole family.
Where Does My Donation Go?
When you donate kids items through Big Group Hug’s warehouse hubs, where items are sorted, assessed and prepared for distribution.
Suitable goods are matched to requests received through our referral network and provided to families free of charge through health, welfare and community professionals.
This means your donation has a clear destination: a child or family who has been identified as needing practical support.
Impact FAQs
How does Big Group Hug use my donation?
Big Group Hug sorts, prepares and safety-checks donated goods at its Melbourne warehouse hubs. Suitable items are matched with requests from children and families experiencing hardship and distributed through health, welfare and community professionals. This ensures quality donations reach children who need practical essentials while giving useful items a second life.
What can I donate to Big Group Hug?
You can donate kids items including quality new and pre-loved children’s clothing, baby items, prams, suitable car seats, toys, books, toiletries, nappies, school essentials and other children’s goods. Some items have specific safety or condition requirements.
Can I donate a pram or car seat?
Yes, provided the item meets Big Group Hug’s current safety and condition requirements. Children’s equipment is safety-checked before it can be distributed. Always check the latest donation guidelines before bringing equipment to a warehouse.
Where can I donate children’s items in Melbourne?
Donations can be dropped off at Big Group Hug’s warehouse hubs in Thomastown, Airport West, and Tarneit during their advertised opening hours. Community drop-off points are also available in selected Melbourne suburbs.
Who receives Big Group Hug donations?
Children and families experiencing hardship receive material aid through Big Group Hug’s network of health, welfare and community referral partners.
How many children does Big Group Hug support?
In the year ending 30 June 2026, Big Group Hug received 4,414 material aid requests involving 8,619 children, averaging 718 children requesting support each month.
Why should I donate children’s items instead of throwing them away?
Quality children’s items can often be reused. Donating gives them a second life with a family who needs them and helps prevent usable goods from going to landfill.
How can my business support Big Group Hug?
Businesses can donate goods, organise workplace collection drives, volunteer at a warehouse, become a community drop-off point, provide financial support or develop a corporate partnership with Big Group Hug.
