Retailers have been invited to take part in a feasibility study to explore plans for a new Glasgow-based Multibank to support people struggling to meet basic household needs across the wider Glasgow City Region.
Led by The Big House Multibank, the new multibank would work in partnership with local retailers to bridge the gap between families experiencing hardship and retailers with surplus goods that would otherwise go to waste.
The Multibank would act as a hub to collects surplus essential goods from businesses, such as clothing, bedding, hygiene products and baby items, and distributes them through local charities and third sector partners to families in greatest need, preventing waste while fighting poverty.
Multibanks already operate successfully in Fife, Manchester, Swansea, London, Birmingham and the Tees Valley, redistributing surplus goods through trusted community partners at no cost to families. Since 2022, The Big House Multibank has distributed more than 2.7 million items, to almost 625,000 families.
With Glasgow City reporting the highest levels of child poverty of any Scottish local authority area, initial scoping work suggests significant potential for a Multibank to support communities across the wider Glasgow City Region.
Alice Moxley, CEO of Multibank Scotland, said:
“It’s really crucial businesses take part in shaping a plan which can deliver a Glasgow City Region Multibank. We encourage their involvement as we design a model which helps address entrenched poverty across Glasgow, based on the existing Multibank concept. This is something which will appeal to businesses large and small who are keen to play their part in improving lives across the Glasgow City Region.”
Douglas Westwater, Chief Executive of Community Enterprise, said:
“A Multibank is a powerful way to support local people and families experiencing hardship, while also helping businesses reduce waste, deliver on their social and environmental commitments and build stronger local partnerships. The insight of retailers, manufacturers and producers with surplus goods will be vital in shaping how a Glasgow Multibank could work in practice and in identifying opportunities to collaborate.”
If you might be able to contribute to a multibank, please fill in this short online survey by 15th May. Taking part in the survey is voluntary and does not constitute a commitment to providing goods.
