August 21, 2025
🎒📚 Introducing Kits for Kids
The Multibank charity launches “Kit For Kids" campaign with 10,500 backpacks to bring end of summer fun and a smart return to school
The Multibank charity, is supporting more than 10,500 children across the UK by partnering with some of Britain’s most famous brand names - including Amazon, a children’s book publisher, a toy manufacturer, a sportswear giant and a football foundation - to donate backpacks containing essential holiday and back to school items for families in need.
The Kits for Kids campaign is being rolled out this week and next by The Multibank in six communities across the UK - Wales, Scotland, Greater Manchester, London, Tees Valley and Birmingham - to support parents whose budgets struggle to cope with the costs of holidays let alone the cost of going back to school back to school.
The Kits for Kids campaign follows research by Multibank charity partner, The Felix Project, which reports 67% of teachers in the UK are concerned the children they teach will be experiencing holiday hunger this summer.
To help support parents across the country, The Multibank is working with Amazon, as well as book publishers Pan Macmillan, Hasbro games manufacturers, Colgate, Bookmark Reading Charity and Manchester City in the Community who have donated end of season kits and football shirts.
The 10,500 backpacks have been donated by Amazon and their suppliers. For primary school children they include a lunch bag, a water bottle, colouring pens, a notepad and more, while the backpacks being given to secondary school pupils contain a scientific calculator, a geometry set, a notepad and more. All were first packed by Amazon volunteers at and near The Multibank’s six UK sites.
Additional items of toothpaste have been donated by Colgate, 15,500 books gifted to the Kits for Kids campaign by Pan MacMillan with thousands of children’s magazines donated by Bookmark Reading Charity and f and sportswear giants Under Armour have gifted sports bags and footwear.
Toy manufacturers, Hasbro have gifted 3000 games including Monopoly Go and Play-doh games, A generous donation was also received from Morrisons for further items which are being delivered into communities across the UK on Mercedes Benz E-Vans donated to The Multibank to support low-emission local deliveries.
Multibank founder and President and Former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown said:
“The hunger, poverty and the lack of opportunity being experienced by so many children across Britain this saddens all of us. But I am heartened too by the compassion across The Multibank which brings businesses and charities together to make a real difference and bring hope and the much-needed stuff of household life to families and children experiencing poverty.“This summer The Multibank Kits for Kids campaign shows that when it comes to supporting the nation’s children, the reservoir of will across British businesses to do good as well as do well is there.
“I’d like to thank The Multibank business partners for coming together with us to accomplish our mission to brighten the lives and put smiles on the 10,500 faces of the some of our most deserving children. Too many children live second-hand only lives. The donations of entirely new items means wide can gift proper presents to kids who need them the most. And they can now make the most of the games and the books during the last weeks of the school holiday and enjoy themselves more knowing they have new kit to go back to school with.”
John Boumphrey, Amazon UK & Ireland Country Manager, added:
“At Amazon, we’re proud to extend our partnership with the Multibank initiative this summer by providing 10,500 backpacks to children in need across the UK. This builds on the incredible work we’ve achieved together over the past three years. When children have the proper tools for learning, it opens doors of opportunity. These backpacks represent more than just school supplies -they provide dignity and confidence to young people who deserve the same chance to succeed as everyone else.”“Working alongside our Multibank charity partners in London, Swansea, Birmingham, Wigan, Tees Valley and Fife, we’re ensuring these essential items reach families experiencing poverty before the new school year begins. This is exactly why we co-founded The Multibank with Gordon Brown - to make tangible differences in communities where support is needed most - and we are delighted that other businesses are joining our coalition of compassion.”
Joanna Prior, CEO, Pan Macmillan said,
“We believe in the power of books to open up worlds of possibility, and we know that owning books from a young age can have a huge impact on a person's life. But with rising costs, many families are facing tough choices. We really admire the work Multibank is doing to support parents and carers, and so we are proud to be donating books to their summer kits. We hope these books offer a little bit of joy and relief during the summer holidays, giving children a chance to escape into a new story and build a lifelong love of reading."Adele Henderson, The Multibank Head of Partnerships, said:
“The Multibank charity network is awesome. The Felix Project research saying that 67% of teachers were worried about kids in their class going hungry this summer struck a nerve. Where parents struggle to afford food, they are going to be priced out of the stuff needed to keep kids entertained in the holidays let alone for the return to school. Our Kits for Kids campaign will we hope bring some downtime fun and escapism in what’s left of the holidays and ensure more of our kids have the smart stuff they need to start the new school year.“We have been blown away by our suppliers, who normally donate their surplus to us, but for this campaign they have donated completely new stock. A big shout out of thanks from us to Pan Macmillan, Bookmark Reading Charity, Hasbro, Colgate, Morrisons, Man City FC, Mercedes Benz Vans, Amazon and all The Multibank charity, holiday family support and health professionals who will now deliver these kits directly into the hands of the kids they know need them the most.”