A new initiative to provide essential goods to struggling
households has been launched in Swansea.
Cwtch Mawr, Wales’s first ‘multibank’, was officially opened
today by First Minister and , the former Prime Minister.
Multibanks are based on the foodbank model, but provide a wider
range of non-perishable goods, enabling businesses to
redistribute surplus unsold items to people for free.
Cwtch Mawr will be supported by donations from Amazon and other
companies, including cleaning wipes, sanitary products, toilet
paper, kitchen rolls and toys. New and reusable household goods,
food, clothes, toiletries, furnishings, bedding, children and
baby goods are expected to be provided in future.
The multibank model encourages businesses to cut down on waste
through the creation of a bank of surplus household goods. Cwtch
Mawr plans to donate more than 300,000 surplus essential goods to
40,000 families in poverty this year.
Cwtch Mawr will be run by Swansea-based charity Faith in
Families, with support from and Amazon, who co-founded the
multi-bank initiative. The Welsh Government is providing £125,000
for the start-up of the project, with other support coming from
local partners including Swansea Council, Pobl Housing
Association and The Moondance Foundation.
said:
“The Multibank is a fantastic model, with businesses based
locally donating goods which can then be provided free to people
who need them, helping to keep money in their pockets. Cwtch Mawr
will help people who are struggling with the cost-of-living
crisis to access essential goods and support easily in one place.
“This is an excellent example of the public, private and
voluntary sectors coming together to support people in their
communities. I’m proud Welsh Government is supporting this
project and hope to see it expand over the next five years.”
said:
“The cost-of-living crisis has for too many families become a
real, day-in-day-out struggle to make ends meet because the money
simply runs out before the end of each month. We have designed
the Multibank initiative to accept returned, surplus or overruns
of goods from UK companies and via local charity partners, like
Faith in Families, we can get items like nappies, school
uniforms, dusters, and duvets, straight into the hands of social
workers, teachers, and health practitioners for social
prescribing. The business partners who have joined our Coalition
of Compassion are directly able to alleviate immediate need for
warm clothes, hygiene products and essential household items to
support those who need them at the time they actually need the
help.”
Cherrie Bija, CEO of Faith in Families, said:
“When people come together to support each other we all will have
a better life. Cwtch Mawr is a collaboration of different sectors
wanting to bring hope and support to those who face some of the
most challenging situations in life, right here in our
communities. This big Welsh Hug can be transformational for
Swansea and South Wales. From gifting children with brand-new
football boots so that they can take part in their school team,
to maternity packs for new Mums so they can have dignity going
into hospital, these things really matter. People are
barely surviving right now, children are normalising discomfort
and hunger, individuals are facing hopeless situations. Cwtch
Mawr will make a difference in people’s lives and for the planet,
a real anti-poverty, anti-pollution, engagement solution.”
John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager, Amazon, said:
“We are delighted to bring together this coalition of partners to
launch Cwtch Mawr, Wales’s first Multibank. Our two existing
Multibanks are having a huge impact across Scotland and Greater
Manchester, helping families in poverty while contributing to a
more circular economy by putting surplus products to good use.
I’m very grateful to the many colleagues from across Amazon who
have brought their logistics expertise, passion for innovation,
and dedication to helping our local communities, to this project,
and who will enable us to support tens of thousands of families
across South Wales this year, and beyond.”
Minister for Social Justice and Chief Whip said:
“With multibanks, people struggling with the cost-of-living will
be able to access essential goods for free, which can be a huge
benefit when household finances are tight. Meanwhile, retailers
will be able to support the circular economy, reducing their
carbon footprint, while contributing to their local communities.
“Our Child Poverty Strategy commits to working together with
others to tackle child poverty. It has been humbling to see the
impact this facility has had on the local community and the
difference it has made to many people’s lives.”
Notes to editors
Cwtch Mawr is an expansion of the Multi-bank initiative,
co-founded by and Amazon, which has donated
more than 2 million essential goods to help over 200,000 families
in Scotland and Greater Manchester.
