Gordon Brown and Amazon mark the impact of The Big House Multibank as pioneering charity initiative surpasses 2.5 million donated goods to over 120,000 unique families in Scotland in last three years

The charity, born in Fife, has now expanded to five Multibanks across the UK, donating over 5 million products to more than half a million families in need

Former PM calls on more companies to join the Multibank coalition and donate their surplus to meet the growing needs of families across Scotland

27 November, Fife, Scotland –The Big House Multibank, co-founded by former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Amazon, will mark its three-year anniversary today, celebrating the significant impact the Fife-based charity network has had on the lives thousands of families in need across Scotland. Hosted by founding charity partner, The Cottage Family Centre, the event at Fife College will welcome Gordon Brown and John Boumphrey, UK Country Manager at Amazon, as speakers.

The Multibank was born in Fife when Gordon Brown, a patron of The Cottage Family Centre in Kirkcaldy, joined forces with Amazon. Together, they aimed to redistribute surplus items from Amazon's Dunfermline fulfilment centre to families in the local area. It started with a goal of helping 13,000 families in Fife, but soon expanded to Edinburgh, Dundee and Perth. Since launching in January 2022, The Big House Multibank has donated over 2.5 million surplus products, distributing more than 215,000 orders to more than 120,000 unique families in Scotland. It has also opened satellite hubs in Dundee and Perth & Kinross.

The Cottage Family Centre built a network of almost one thousand local charity partners and care professionals, including social workers, teachers and midwives, who collect and redistribute these brand-new products to people unable to afford essentials like toiletries, baby products, cleaning goods and bedding.

A social return on investment study has shown that for every £1 invested in the project, it creates £5.96 of social value. As a result of the project, 90 per cent of parents reported reduced debt, 83 per cent witnessed a positive impact on their child’s self-esteem while over half (55 per cent) reported that the donated products helped them avoid a crisis situation. More than one in ten parents (11 per cent) said the support they received helped avoid their child being taken into care¹.

Amazon and Gordon Brown have built on the success of The Big House Multibank to expand the initiative UK-wide, partnering with leading local charities and local authorities to open a total of five Multibanks across the country. The Multibank network has now donated over 5 million surplus goods, distributing more than 1.2 million orders to support over half a million unique families experiencing poverty.

Former UK Prime Minister Rt Hon Gordon Brown said: “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. I want to thank The Cottage Family Centre and our partners who’ve 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, 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.”

Kirsty Thomson, CEO of The Big House Multibank: “A massive thank you to Pauline and her team at The Cottage for the amazing achievements of the past 3 years. Our Board of Trustees and staff at The Big House Multibank are committed to furthering this impact and continuing to support families in need across Scotland through this incredible initiative.”

The Multibank is part of Amazon's broader commitment to support economic growth across Scotland. Since 2010, Amazon has invested over £3.5 billion in Scotland which has led to the production of goods and services that contributed over an estimated £3 billion to Scotland’s GDP. Amazon has created around 3,000 full and part-time jobs and more 200 apprentices in Scotland have qualified from the Amazon Apprenticeship programme since 2010. In Scotland, there are around 4,000 small and medium-sized businesses selling on Amazon as independent selling partners. Small businesses from Scotland selling on Amazon recorded over £160 million of export sales in 2023.