The fourth Letchworth Parent and Baby Fayre will be held at The Cloisters on Sunday (September 8).

This not-for-profit event, run by volunteers, will showcase more than 30 local businesses via exhibitor stalls, free play and talk demonstrations, goodie bags, and raffle bundles worth between £135 and £715.

The exhibitors all serve families from pregnancy through to pre-school.

As a not-for-profit event, the exhibitor fees will cover the event insurance, printing costs for advertising, and venue hire.  Any remaining profit, alongside the raffle ticket sales, will be donated to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Lister Hospital in Stevenage.

In previous years, profits from the fayre have supported Lister's Magic of Play Appeal to help improve the outdoor space for children who are patients, and contributed towards buying Kangaroo Chairs for Lister's NICU, to support breastfeeding.

Nicki Layton, one of the volunteers behind the fayre, said: "In 2024, we will be purchasing Apple iPads for the unit so that parents can see and speak with their babies 24/7 whilst in NICU care.

"The Lister NICU always has lots of projects to get involved with, but this one really called to us. This project really pulled on our heart strings, as several of us have had babies in Lister NICU where this was not possible."

It is hoped the fayre will raised more than £2,000 for the NICU.

Doors to The Cloisters, just off Barrington Road, will open at 11am and close at 3pm on Sunday.

The first 50 lucky families will receive a goodie bag worth more than £80 each.

Entry is free, with free parking onsite, and refreshments will be available.

There will be seven free demonstration classes/workshops.

The raffle comprises of eight bundles, with categories including 'expectant dad', 'mum bundle' and 'pregnancy bundle'. Tickets are £3 and can be bought at the fayre, with the raffle winners being drawn at 2.45pm on the day.

If you would like to get involved as a family or business, email lpbfayre@gmail.com.

Nicki said: "We are always looking for feedback, raffle and goodie bag contributions to support families."