About The Multibank Network
The Multibank network, founded by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown with Amazon UK, supported by Comic Relief and growing numbers of local, regional and national businesses, exists to connect surplus goods with families in need via a hyperlocal network of charities, community organisations, and individual practitioners. By persuading business to ‘waste not’, we aim to combat the effects of poverty and ensure families in Britain ‘want not’.
The first Multibank opened in Fife three years and others now operate out of Wigan, Swansea, London and Middlesbrough and have between them already distributed over 5 million surplus goods to 500,000 families struggling through the cost-of-living crisis. The latest Multibank was opened in Tees Valley in November 2024, with a 6th to open in the West Midlands in early 2025.
Social Value reports show that the Multibank model is preventing families falling into crisis, improving attendance rates in school, alleviating cross-family stress by relieving strains on family finances and helping families money stretch closer to the end of the month. For every £1 invested in distribution and warehousing, our network is returning nearly £6 in social value.
Our end goal, however, is much larger and even more exciting than our current enterprise. Our vision is to create a large, collaborative national endeavour which distributes 20 million items a year across the country for those currently living in relative poverty. and which does so sustainably, efficiently, and fairly, year on year.
Characteristics of The Network
There are a number of relevant characteristics:
- Multibank UK, the umbrella organisation, is very lean. It currently relies on the goodwill of a number of committed volunteers and one professional member of staff. One of the key decisions to be made by the incoming CEO and the Board is the nature of the professional capabilities which need to be built at the centre versus the extent to which partnerships can be built to deliver necessary services.
- The business is in fast growth mode, requiring agility, adaptability, and tenacity from its Chief Executive, team, partners, and volunteers.
- A draft business plan has been developed. We would expect the incoming CEO to have meaningful impact on finalising it.
- The individual Multibanks are highly connected and well respected in their local communities enabling effective distribution of goods to families in need through existing channels of distribution, without the stigma sometimes associated with food banks. They vary in size and sophistication.
- The Social Value Laboratory reports the first 12 months of both the Fife and Wigan multibanks’ “redistribution revolution” brought immediate and holistic relief to families struggling through the continuing cost-of-living crisis.
- Amazon is an anchor and highly committed partner. Together with Comic Relief they are providing £6m of funding over the next four years as well as invaluable professional help and senior management commitment. Their in kind support to each Multibank includes:
- Seconding warehouse operatives to set up and run each Multibank warehouse for the first 1–3 years.
- Providing additional operational management expertise via local Amazon warehouse leaders.
- Committing regular supply of goods so each Multibank is well-stocked.
- Offering additional PR and marketing support.
- Providing volunteers.
- We also receive donations from a growing number of companies including Accrol, Heinz, INEOS, Kimberley Clark, McBride, Morrisons, Online Home Shop, Palletline PepsiCo, Poundland, Pretty Little Thing, Sofidel, Tesco and Unilever.
Our Impact: Multibank Social Value In Data
- 90% reduction in children’s stress and anxiety levels.
- 27% increase in children’s confidence and self-esteem.
- 68% increase in concentration levels at school.
- 23% increase in school attendance.
- 13% of parents say Multibank support has meant their child(ren) not been taken into care.
- 13% (one in eight) recipients reported that Multibank support has helped them to avoid being involved in criminal activity.
- 38% of professional referral partners note Multibank support enabled recipients to better manage their tenancy.
- 98% of Multibank professional partners report Multibank support enables them to do their jobs better.
- 88% professional partners say Multibank support has helped their clients avoid a crisis situation and 52% of professionals say Multibank support has stopped them making a crisis intervention.
- 40% of referral partners report observing an improvement in the physical health of their patients.
- 86% of professional partners report a boost in confidence and self-esteem in their recipients following Multibank support.
- 48% of recipients said receipt if goods reduced their worry about their finances that week.
- 29% of people report being less stressed about their financial situation in general.
- 45% of recipients said Multibank support meant they did not have to get into debt or more debt.
- 64% of recipients said Multibank support means they could spend more of their money on energy and other utilities.
- 93% ref professionals report an increase in the financial well-being of the majority of recipients.
- 54% of parent recipients reported improved relationships – less fear of bullying – for their children.
- 77% of professional referral partners report Multibank goods immediate availability improved their speed of access to resources to alleviate immediate material needs for their clients.
- 61% of professional referral partners report that Multibank support meant their own organisation could reallocate resources to address other needs of their clients.
- 50% of professional referral partners report that Multibank support meant their own organisation could save money.