West Midlands Multibank marks first year helping thousands of families in need across the region
Thousands of families across the West Midlands have received essential household items over the past year thanks to the West Midlands Multibank charity, which is celebrating its first anniversary.
The Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) launched the West Midlands Multibank charity with former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and principal partner Amazon. Since its launch, the West Midlands Multibank has distributed over 492,000 goods like clothing, toiletries, toys and cleaning products through more than 175,000 orders to families.
Run by BVSC, the West Midlands Multibank works with more than 160 partners in the region, including schools, local charities and community organisations. The Multibank collects surplus products donated by businesses and redistributes them to families in need across the region. Operating from an 8,000 sq. ft warehouse in Saltley, the charity helps ensure that no good product goes to waste and no family goes without the essentials they need.
The milestone also comes as new VAT relief rules come into effect in April, which will make it easier for businesses to donate surplus goods directly to charities supporting people in need. The change will help ensure more products are redistributed to families rather than going to waste and supporting the continued growth of charities like the West Midlands Multibank.
The West Midlands Multibank is supported by teams of local volunteers, as well as employees seconded from Amazon's EMA4 fulfilment centre who help sort, pack and distribute donated items.
Matt Daniels MBE, Head of Children & Families at BVSC, said:
“The Multibank family is incredibly proud of all the West Midlands Multibank has achieved in its first year. Almost 45,000 families across the region have had a share of in the nearly 500,000 household products rescued by The Multibank from excess business stocks.
“Big thanks to our principal partner Amazon for their excess stock, to Palletline for logistics and forklift support, to Mercedes Vans for the e-vans that help us deliver sustainably, and Volvo for the e-car that helps us make last mile delivery easy.
“Special thanks to the 160 trusted family referral partners who help us get our goods to the families who need them the most. Thanks too to the family beneficiaries who tell us every day that the goods we get to them - free at the point of delivery - lighten their money worries and make a real difference to the quality of their lives.
“With VAT relief for businesses donating supplies to charity coming into force from April, we hope to welcome many more businesses into our coalition of compassion to support even more families by saving more products from being wasted and boosting the circular economy.”
John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager at Amazon, added:
“The West Midlands Multibank shows what's possible when businesses, charities and local government come together with a shared purpose – helping families get the essentials they need, when they need them most. I'm immensely proud of what we have achieved together with BVSC and our partners over this first year. But this is just the beginning. As more businesses to join our coalition of compassion, we can reach even more families in need across the region.”
The West Midlands Multibank is part of a growing UK-wide network of Multibanks, a charity movement launched in Fife on 2021 by UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown with local businesses including principal partner Amazon. The Multibank model redistributes surplus goods donated by businesses to families in need through trusted community partners.
Gordon Brown, President of The Multibank charity said:
"The West Midlands Multibank's work to support the in two children in Birmingham growing up in poverty is to be congratulated. Its first birthday is a celebration of the power of its partnerships. Over the last year it has brought together local people, local charities, local and national businesses in to our coalitions of compassion to create new new solutions to combat immediate issues of household poverty and give hope and opportunity to families who need it most.”
If you are a business wishing to partner with our Multibank charity network, please contact us atdonate@themultibank.co.uk