Charity founded by former PM Gordon Brown and Amazon hits three-year milestone

A charity founded by former prime minister Gordon Brown and delivery superpower Amazon is celebrating its three-year anniversary.

The Big House Multibank was launched in early 2022 with the aim of distributing excess items from the company’s Fife warehouse to families in the area.

The charity will celebrate with an event at Fife College, hosted by its founding partner the Cottage Family Centre – of which Mr Brown is a patron.

Just under three years on, it has expanded its network to include Edinburgh, Dundee and Perth, and has distributed 2.5 million goods to more than 120,000 families.

The Cottage Family Centre has created a near-1,000 strong network of partners to help distribute the items, which include essentials such as clothing, toiletries and baby products.

Since its creation, a further five multibanks have been opened across the UK, including in Manchester, Swansea and London, with a growing level of donations from other businesses.

“We’re proud to mark three years of the Big House Multibank and the impact this vital work has had in the lives of thousands of Scottish families,” the former prime minister said.

“I want to thank the Cottage Family Centre and our partners who have made this possible with their generous donations.

“Their support is essential to help this operation continue and I call on more businesses, big and small, to join our coalition and help us in this important initiative.

“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 for Amazon, said: “This milestone demonstrates the extraordinary impact we can achieve when businesses, charities and visionary leaders like Gordon Brown unite for a common cause.

“In just three years, the Big House Multibank has redistributed more than 2.5 million goods supporting over 120,000 unique families across Scotland – an achievement that my team and I are incredibly proud of as we work together to build a brighter and more sustainable future.

“Our partnership with the Cottage Family Centre in developing this groundbreaking initiative has been incredibly rewarding, as we witness its transformative effect on countless families’ lives.”

Pauline Buchan, strategic manager at the Cottage Family Centre, said: “The difference this initiative has made to the lives of children, families and the practitioners who support them is simply incredible, and I am absolutely delighted that families not only here in Scotland but those in communities across the UK will also have access to this much-needed support going forward.”