The West Midlands’ first Multibank has launched in Birmingham, creating a "vital hub” which will donate more than 750,000 surplus goods to 75,000 families in need over the next 12 months.
Co-founded by Amazon and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the Multibank is a donations centre that takes surplus products donated by businesses and gives them to social workers, teachers, and community organisations to distribute to local families.
From clothing, crockery, and cleaning products, to toiletries, towels and toys, these community donation hubs put business surplus in the hands of those who need it most.
The West Midlands’ first Multibank is led by Birmingham Voluntary Service Council with support from Amazon, Gordon Brown, and the Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker.
The former UK Prime Minister said: “The opening of the West Midland’s Multibank will help families, schools and all family support services across the region to have the material means to relieve and turn around the dreadful hardship being experienced across this region.”
According to a report from BirminghamLive, 46% of Birmingham’s children are growing up in poverty, up from 27% in 2015 and more than at any time since records began.
The report found that teachers and youth workers are frequently having to spend their own money to meet the basic needs of young people, while GPs and medics voiced their concerns about the mental and physical toll poverty is having on those impacted.
The Multibank will process donations from Amazon as well as Navigator and Sofidel in a dedicated 8,000 sq. ft warehouse in the Saltley area of Birmingham.
Community support organisations, schools and colleges, and charities in the West Midlands will be able access the donated goods from the West Midlands Multibank including soap, toilet roll, household products, school kit and more.
This is the sixth Multibank established by Gordon Brown and Amazon in the UK, an initiative which has donated more than 7 million goods to help over 600,000 families from Multibanks in Scotland, Greater Manchester, Wales, London, Tees Valley, and now the West Midlands. This year, families will receive more than a million orders from the Multibanks across the UK.
John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager, Amazon, called the Multibank a “vital hub” and said: “Our goal is simple, to help as many families across the West Midlands as possible, by connecting surplus goods from Amazon and other businesses, with those who need it most.”
The Multibank is part of Amazon's broader commitment to support communities in the West Midlands, having invested over £5 billion since 2010 and created more than 6,500 jobs. Since the start of 2024, Amazon has granted more than £65,000 to charities and schools across the region including Birmingham Central Foodbank, Moat House Community Trust, and Birmingham & Solihull Women’s Aid.
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