Awesome Wales 'saves' Baby Basics giving space in new 'Eto'

It might sound too good to be true, but it happened and this is how.

In August, Baby Basics announced they were looking for a new home after leaving the Restore furniture bank on Thompson Street.

Then, Awesome Wales café owners Stuart Burnell and Amy Greenfield looked into getting hold of the premises next to Specsavers on Holton Road.

They managed to track down the owners and negotiate a lease of three years and, in two weeks, with 14 volunteers and a budget of just £250, transformed the shop into pre-loved children’s items store 'Eto', offering everything your child needs at ‘cost of living friendly’ prices.

Inside are games, books, clothes, shoes and - more importantly - Baby Basics!

Mr Burnell, who was behind the till when we visited Eto, said after some discussion, everything was set.

“We contacted Pauline after we found they were leaving Restore,” said Mr Burnell.

“I think they had a month where they had to put their items in storage.

“Amy discussed it with Pauline and we gave them a space.”

And what a space!

Baby Basics, which provides baskets of items for expectant mothers in need of support, now has an enormous floor space in the basement, which they are currently renovating before moving in officially.

Inside the new Eto (Image: Newsquest)

The store sells pre-loved children's items (Image: Newsquest)

14 volunteers and just over £200 transformed the store (Image: Newsquest)

• Baby and children clothing shop Eto by Awesome Wales opens

The store was opened at the beginning of the month (Image: Newsquest)

Charity Baby Basics have been offered a huge space downstairs (Image: Newsquest)

Baby Basics had no home after moving from Restore furniture bank (Image: Newsquest)

Ms Byrne said Eto and Awesome Wales had been simply - wait for it - awesome!

“They've been great,” said Ms Bryne. “They rescued us.

“We had nowhere to go apart from storage. Then Amy rang up saying we may have an opportunity to offer you space. I instantly said yes.

“Working together has been a good collaboration.”

Pauline Byrne of Baby Basics says Mr Burnell's Awesome Wales has been a life-saver (Image: Newsquest)

It’s a high street good news story and a change of narrative coming off the shock that popular hot dog restaurant The Sausage Revolution, on Atlantic Trading Estate, went out of business recently.

Retail is hard, made even harder by the cost of living but clever partnerships like this could be a way to help revive the high street.

Mayor of Barry, Councillor Ian Johnson said it was great to see Eto opening.

Mayor Johnson said: “Within the current cost-of-living crisis, Eto meets an identified need for pre-loved baby and children’s clothing and books which can be bought for an affordable price by local families and builds on the experience of the team at Awesome Wales.”

Eto will be open 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and is located near the Kings Square end of Holton Road, near Specsavers.

Got a story in Barry? Email harry.jamshidian@newsquest.co.uk.