Scottish Catholic Observer

Emily Wilson, 15, of St Luke’s High School, collaborated with a group of fellow designers from four non-denominational secondary schools across Scotland as part of a Young Scot Baby Box Design Competition, entered by hundreds of young people in the country.

The boxes, featuring the pupils’ design of a baby sleeping inside a tree surrounded by flowers and books, are being given to hundreds of new parents throughout Scotland.

A humbling experience

The S4 pupil said she is ‘thrilled’ to see her team’s effort come to fruition. “It’s really quite humbling to think that pictures I’ve drawn will be a part of such a special time for families all over the country,” she said.

“I’ve seen a few pictures of the baby box in people’s homes now and it makes me feel amazing.”

A safe place to sleep

The history of the baby box stems back to the 1930s in Finland, where infant mortality was high.

Finland created the boxes as a safe space for children to sleep. The boxes were introduced by the Scottish Government in 2017, and are now provided for all newborns in the country.

The boxes contain items including clothing, a play mat, books, a towel and a sling carrier—and the box itself can be used as a sleeping space.

Emily believes the boxes are an important gift for all new parents.

Making a difference

“It’s a great initiative,” she said. “Being in the design process for the baby box has taught me a lot about the difference it can make to families.

“I like that every baby, regardless of the circumstances they are born into, is given the same start.”

She added she had a ‘great experience’ throughout the design process.

She said: “I enjoyed putting together my initial concept, workshopping with designers in Edinburgh, being part of a team, learning about the manufacturing and distribution process and of course, to top it all off, seeing my illustrations in production.”

Future endeavours

Delighted with her and the team’s success, Emily said art is a big part of her life and that it she would be interested in making it a part of her future career.

Karen Hunter, a depute headteacher and S4 head for St Luke’s, posted a picture of Emily sporting one of her designed baby boxes on Twitter, which was retweeted by Depute First Minister John Swinney.

Mrs Hunter said: “I am incredibly proud of Emily and her achievement and it is fantastic that she has been recognised at a national level for her talent.”