Businesses Invited to Help Shape New Glasgow City Region Multibank to Support Local Families

April 30, 2026

Community Enterprise is inviting retailers, manufacturers and producers of non-food essential goods to take part in a feasibility study to explore plans for a new Glasgow-based Multibank, led by The Big House Multibank, to support people experiencing material hardship – difficulty meeting basic household needs – across Glasgow City Region.

A Multibank is a hub that collects surplus essential goods from businesses, such as clothing, bedding, hygiene products and baby items, and distributes them through local charities and third sector partners to families in greatest need, preventing waste while fighting poverty.

Many families are struggling to access essential items needed for a safe and dignified home, while high‑quality surplus goods from retailers often go unused or go to waste. A Multibank, working in partnership with local organisations, aims to bridge this gap.

Business representatives of retailers, manufacturers and producers who might be able to contribute to a multibank are invited to complete a short online survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Multibank-Business-Survey.

Alice Moxley, CEO of Multibank Scotland said:

“It’s really crucial businesses take part in shaping a plan which can deliver a Glasgow City Region Multibank.

“We encourage their involvement as we design a model which helps address entrenched poverty across Glasgow, based on the existing Multibank concept.

“This is something which will appeal to businesses large and small who are keen to play their part in improving lives across the Glasgow City Region.”

Multibanks already operate successfully in Fife, Manchester, Swansea, London, Birmingham and the Tees Valley, redistributing surplus goods through trusted community partners at no cost to families. Since 2022, The Big House Multibank has distributed more than 2.7 million items, to almost 625,000 families.

With Glasgow City reporting the highest levels of child poverty of any Scottish local authority area, initial scoping work suggests significant potential for a Multibank to support communities across the City the wider Glasgow City Region.

Douglas Westwater, Chief Executive of Community Enterprise, said:

“A Multibank is a powerful way to support local people and families experiencing hardship, while also helping businesses reduce waste, deliver on their social and environmental commitments and build stronger local partnerships. The insight of retailers, manufacturers and producers with surplus goods will be vital in shaping how a Glasgow Multibank could work in practice and in identifying opportunities to collaborate.”

How to Take Part

Taking part in the survey is voluntary and does not constitute a commitment to providing goods, however.

The survey closes on 15th May

For more information on the study, please contact:

Douglas Westwater, Community Enterprise at: douglas@communityenterprise.co.uk