A charity founded by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has launched in Middlesbrough in a bid to help families struggling with the cost of living crisis.
The North East's first Multibank - operated by local charity The Junction - was today (November 12) unveiled by Mr Brown alongside council leaders.
The community hub takes in surplus products donated by businesses - and is expected to give out more than 750,000 goods over the next year to 75,000 families across Teesside.
The initiative - co-founded by Amazon and Mr Brown - will provide brand-new items for social workers, teachers, other local charities and community groups to distribute to local families.
Items include everything from clothing, crockery, and cleaning products, to toiletries, towels and toys.
The launch comes after a recent report from the End Childhood Poverty coalition revealed at least one in four children in the North East of England is growing up in poverty.
The number is estimated to be even higher on Teesside, with Middlesbrough seeing the highest rate, with almost half (46.6 per cent) of children in poverty.
The Junction Multibank builds on The Junction’s work supporting children, young people and families across the region.
Community support organisations, schools and colleges, and homeless shelters will be able to access the donated goods including Footprints in the Community, The 700 Club, Tees Valley Rural Action and Children’s Services Middlesbrough.
The Multibank will process donations from Amazon and other supporting businesses from a 12,000 sq. ft warehouse in Middlesbrough.
Amazon helped set up the warehouse operations, providing logistics expertise, and tech support, and five team members from its Stockton site will work on-site full-time for the first year.
Council leaders in Stockton, Redcar and Cleveland, and Hartlepool, as well as Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke, have each committed £25,000 to support the project.
Additional funding has been provided through the Multibank Fund, established with £1 million from Amazon and Comic Relief.
Four previous Multibank initiatives have already seen more than five million goods donated to help more than 500,000 families in Scotland, Greater Manchester, Wales, and London.
'We want Multibanks to put a smile on every child’s face'
Gordon Brown, former UK Prime Minister, said: “I’d like to thank Beth Major, The Junction team and everyone who has worked so hard to open a Multibank here in Tees Valley.
“The key to the work of The Multibank is that we link companies that have good quality, surplus products to community-based charities like The Junction who know the people that need them.
“The Multibank model benefits us all because we receive and then donate hundreds of thousands of surplus products that might otherwise go to waste.
“We are tackling pollution and alleviating the effects of poverty by creating a new, cost effective, solution that sustains both the planet and childhood opportunity.
“Multibanks are not just about meeting needs but offering hope that families struggling to get by can have a better life and in particular as we prepare for Christmas, we want Multibanks to put a smile on every child’s face.”
John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager, Amazon, said: “Our goal is to help as many families as possible across Tees Valley by connecting surplus goods from Amazon and other businesses, with those who need it most.
“I’m incredibly proud of the work our team is doing, alongside many committed partners, to grow and scale Multibanks, providing support for more than half a million families across the UK.”
Beth Major, CEO, The Junction, said: “No one should struggle alone. We know the challenges that children, young people and families in Tees Valley face alongside the challenges of practitioners trying to meet those needs through our own work.
“The Junction Multibank will help agencies and practitioners provide essential goods to families and individuals facing challenges, ensuring quicker access to basic needs. This timely support will enable deeper engagement and opportunities for long-term progress.”
Samir Patel, CEO of Comic Relief, said it is "vitally important" and described The Junction as an already "invaluable lifeline to so many people in the region".
Chris Cooke said it was fantastic to see a major firm getting involved to support the region.
He added: "By working together, we can really deliver and give back to our communities. Initiatives like this are exactly what forward thinking councils should be doing to empower residents to live happier, healthier lives.”
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