Amazon supports with the launch of You Buy. We Donate which will donate thousands of hygiene products to local families in need
Cwtch Mawr Multibank is a charity initiative formed by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Amazon, and Swansea charity Faith in Families which has donated essential items to over 100,000 families in need across South Wales
Cwtch Mawr Multibank in Swansea is calling on local residents to support its drive to combat hygiene poverty in the region and help to ensure children can return to school this week feeling comfortable in their own skin.
To kick-start the campaign, Amazon has joined forces with its suppliers of well-known household brands including Unilever, L’Oréal, and Colgate-Palmolive to deliver thousands of hygiene products to families in need across South Wales via The Multibank charity.
From today until 28 January, for every two purchases on Amazon.co.uk from a selection of over 800 personal hygiene, household and baby products, Amazon and its suppliers will donate a third item to the network of Multibanks across the UK, including Cwtch Mawr Multibank, Swansea.
According to a recent survey for The Hygiene Bank, teachers are spending £40 million out of their own pockets to combat the effects of hygiene poverty in the classroom as 1 in 4 children (28%) are reported to be regularly missing school because they or their clothes or kit are not clean.
Former UK Prime Minister Rt Hon Gordon Brown, said: “I’m delighted Amazon, whose surplus stocks are already a mainstay of Multibank goods, are launching a multi-business collaboration amongst hygiene companies to increase the amount of hygiene goods supplied to our Multibanks. I thank all the companies involved.”
“We know The Multibanks are making a real difference keeping hard-pressed families facing the future with some hope of better days ahead. We must now keep innovating how we do charitable work in our communities because too many children need the help right now and teachers tell us that keeping kids clean and smelling fresh is for them a priority issue.”
Cherrie Bija, CEO of Faith in Families and Cwtch Mawr Multibank, said: “Rising living costs are forcing people into impossible situations where they’re having to choose between feeding their families, and keeping them clean. Family finances are under even more pressure during the winter months so we are grateful to Amazon and its suppliers for their commitment to unlock more hygiene products which will provide life-changing support to the most vulnerable in our communities.”
John Boumphrey, Amazon UK Country Manager, said: “We are incredibly proud to have supported the foundation and growth of Cwtch Mawr Multibank. We want to support their drive to combat hygiene poverty across the region helping as many families in need as possible. By working together with our suppliers and our customers, we hope to generate hundreds of thousands more donations.”
Chris Barron, General Manager for Personal Care UK&I at Unilever, said: “The support that The Multibank provides is so important, helping households that are facing hygiene poverty to access the daily products that help people to feel clean and confident. We know that together we can do more, so we’re really pleased to be partnering with Amazon with a shared commitment to get more products to the charities and people that need them most.”
Brands participating in You Buy. We Donate are Amazon brands by Amazon, and Mama Bear, as well as, Dove, Elvive, Colgate, Garnier, L’Oréal Paris, Lynx, Men Expert, Nivea, Palmolive, Radox, Revitalift, Sanex, SheaMoisture, Simple, Sure, Tommee, Tippee TRESemme, and Vaseline.
Transport logistics specialists, Palletline is providing logistics support for the campaign free of charge, handling the storage and onward distribution of all donations to The Multibank’s network of regional hubs.
Together with Mr Brown, Amazon formed the UK’s first Multibank in Scotland three years ago to redistribute surplus stock from its largest returns centre in Fife to local families in need. A second Multibank in Wigan opened in 2023, followed by Swansea, London and Middlesbrough in 2024. Working together with local charity partners and a network of suppliers, The Multibank movement has donated more than 5 million surplus essentials to help more than 500,000 families experiencing poverty.
