A fresh charity initiative aims to supply vital home goods to 40,000 struggling families across London in the coming year.
The Felix Project run MultiBank plans to distribute 400,000 surplus essential items including toiletries, cleaning supplies and baby products over the next 12 months.
This project expands on a scheme established by former prime minister Gordon Brown and e-commerce giant Amazon, with backing from Comic Relief and the Mayor of London.
The Multibank builds upon an existing programme operating in Scotland, Greater Manchester and Wales, which sources and gives away new, surplus goods that can’t be sold, to people who need them the most.
Amazon employees will work at the Greenford warehouse in west London, assisting in transporting donations to voluntary groups throughout the capital at the outset.
‘Most pressing need’
Commenting on the initiative, Mr Brown said: “As I go round the country, I find too many children growing up in homes without heating, bedrooms without beds, floors without floor coverings, kitchens without kitchen utensils and bathrooms without soap, shampoo or toothpaste.
“Felix’s Multibank will be able to take a holistic view of the overall need of the families they serve and provide some of the non-food basics for those in greatest need across London.”
Chief executive of the Felix Project, Charlotte Hill, commented: “For those on low incomes all items are a struggle to afford.
“Thanks to this incredible partnership, Felix’s Multibank will be able to ensure our network of community organisations can provide more of the things people need and, just as importantly, prevent perfectly usable items from going to waste.”
‘The Felix Project’
The aim of the project is to collect surplus food from the food industry that would otherwise be thrown away, and deliver it to food banks, charities and schools across London.
Donations from Farms, Supermarkets and Restaurants ensures that high quality and nutritious food reaches the most vulnerable children and families, those living in council and social housing, the elderly and the homeless and all those who struggle to afford healthy food.
In 2023, they gave away 32 million meals to almost 1,500 organisations & schools across London. Read more in their 2023 Impact Report.
