Twelve months ago, Cwtch Mawr Multibank moved into its new, larger home.
But this was never just a move into a bigger warehouse.
It was a moment of belief. Belief that Wales’s first Multibank could grow. Belief that practical support could reach more people. And belief that surplus products, strong partnerships and community care could become something truly powerful.
One year on, that belief has become action.
With the support of Amazon and The Multibank UK, Cwtch Mawr Multibank has grown from a bold idea into a vital part of community support across Wales. Their backing has helped turn brand-new surplus goods into practical help for people facing poverty, crisis and pressure.
A Bigger Home for Cwtch Mawr Multibank
The move into our 15,000 sq ft facility gave Cwtch Mawr Multibank the space to breathe, grow and serve.
It created room for more products, stronger logistics and better support for our referral partners. Most importantly, it meant more essential goods could reach people through trusted frontline organisations.
Amazon’s role in this growth has been central. Through product donations, logistics support, direct deliveries and ongoing partnership, Amazon has helped us reach further, respond faster and support more people across Wales.
The Multibank UK has also helped shape the bigger movement behind this work. It has brought together businesses, charities and communities around one clear idea; good products should not go to waste when people need them.
Since Cwtch Mawr Multibank began, 1,389,402 essential items have been redistributed to people and communities who need practical support.
Behind that number are 247,344 beneficiary touchpoints. That includes children, young people, individuals, families and people over 60.
Each number represents a real moment. A family receiving essentials. A child having what they need. A person feeling seen. A household getting a little breathing space at the right time.
More Than a Warehouse
Today, Cwtch Mawr Multibank supports 158 referral partners, helping essential goods reach households across Swansea, Bridgend and wider Wales.
Over the last year, it has grown into far more than a warehouse. It has become part of Wales’s community infrastructure.
It is a place where products become support. Where partnerships become action. And where compassion moves at scale.
The Multibank supports people facing financial pressure. It helps frontline partners respond quickly to need. It reduces waste by giving good products a clear social purpose. It also creates space for volunteering, learning and routes into employment.
And at the heart of it all are people.
From January to June this year, Cwtch Mawr recorded 3,592.5 volunteer hours. That is an average of 599 hours each month, equal to nearly four full-time roles.
Every hour matters. Every pair of hands matters. Every person who gives their time helps keep essential support moving.
Building Skills, Confidence and Opportunity
Cwtch Mawr Multibank is not only about goods going out.
It is also about confidence, dignity, skills and opportunity being built along the way.
More than 20 young people have found pathways towards employment through the Amazon and Barnardo’s job project. We also continue to support ITEC College with opportunities for young learners.
That is what makes this work special.
A box of essentials can ease pressure today. But the wider work around Cwtch Mawr can help people feel valued, build confidence and take steps towards a brighter future.
This is where the strength of partnership really shows. Amazon’s support has not only helped move products through the Multibank. It has also helped create opportunities for young people to learn, grow and see what they are capable of.
Recognised Across Wales and Beyond
The impact of Cwtch Mawr Multibank has also been recognised beyond our own walls.
Faith in Families was named a St David Awards finalist, with Welsh Government recognising the role of Cwtch Mawr as Wales’s first Multibank and its significant social value.
The work has also been recognised through UK-wide platforms, including the Social Value Awards, APSE Service Awards recognition linked to collaborative working with Swansea Council, the external publication of £27.7 million in social value, and the public milestone of one million essential items distributed.
These milestones matter because they show that Cwtch Mawr is not only busy.
It is trusted. It is credible. And it is making a measurable difference.
They also show what can happen when local community knowledge meets national partnership. With Faith in Families rooted in Swansea Bay, Amazon helping supply and move essential goods, and The Multibank UK supporting the wider model, the impact becomes bigger than any one organisation.
Practical Support That Helps People and the Planet
Cwtch Mawr Multibank also delivers significant environmental impact.
Based on 1,389,402 essential items redistributed, an estimated 1,389.4 tonnes of goods have been kept in circulation rather than going to waste.
Using an estimate of 4.998 kg CO2e per item, this equates to approximately 6,944 tonnes of CO2e avoided.
That is broadly equivalent to:
- 1,510 cars taken off the road for a year
- 1,263 UK homes powered for a year
- 13,888 one-way flights from London to New York avoided
- 115,737 trees grown for 10 years
This matters because Cwtch Mawr is not only responding to poverty and crisis. It is also reducing waste, extending the life of good products and showing what a more sustainable model of support can look like.
It is practical. It is human. And it makes sense for people and the planet.
Partnership Makes This Possible
None of this has happened by chance.
Cwtch Mawr Multibank has grown because people and organisations chose to believe in what practical support could become.
At the heart of that story is Amazon, whose belief, support and commitment have helped make Wales’s first Multibank possible. From the very beginning, Amazon has been more than a donor of goods. They have been a driving partner in helping surplus, brand-new products reach people who need them most, quickly, safely and with dignity.
Their support has helped turn a bold idea into a working model of community impact. Through donated products, logistics expertise, direct deliveries and ongoing partnership, Amazon has helped Cwtch Mawr Multibank reach further, respond faster and support more people across Wales.
We are also proud to be part of The Multibank UK network, a powerful movement showing what can happen when surplus goods are connected with communities that need them. The Multibank UK has helped create the national vision, structure and momentum behind this work, bringing together businesses, charities and communities to reduce waste and tackle need in a practical, human way.
Together, Amazon and The Multibank UK have helped create something that is changing lives here in Wales.
Because of that partnership, Cwtch Mawr Multibank has been able to grow its systems, strengthen security and reporting, develop Wales’s Collaboration Hub, receive Amazon trailers directly into Swansea, expand its charity partner network, progress digital inclusion work, and support regional development across South Wales.
We are also proud to work alongside Welsh Government, Swansea Council, SCVS, Bridgend County Council & BAVO, Palletline, ALG, Comic Relief, Moondance our local authority partners, referral organisations, donors, funders, volunteers, businesses and community supporters.
Every partner plays a part. However, Amazon and The Multibank UK have helped lay the foundations for something truly special.
They have helped turn space into service, products into dignity, and partnership into real community impact.
The Next Chapter: Multibank Cymru
As we mark 12 months in our larger Multibank, we are also preparing for the next chapter.
Cwtch Mawr Multibank will progress to become Multibank Cymru.
The logo, wording and design are still being developed, but the direction is clear. This is not a step away from our roots. Cwtch Mawr has carried the warmth, care and community spirit of the work from the beginning. It will always be part of our story.
Multibank Cymru will build on that foundation and reflect the wider role the Multibank now plays across Wales.
One year on, we are proud of what has been built.
We are proud of every partner, volunteer, donor and supporter who has helped make it possible. We are especially proud of the role Amazon and The Multibank UK have played in helping Cwtch Mawr Multibank grow into something Wales can believe in.
From Cwtch Mawr Multibank to Multibank Cymru, this is a new chapter for practical support, partnership and compassion across Wales.
And with partners like Amazon, The Multibank UK and our incredible community beside us, we are ready for what comes next.
To learn more about Cwtch Mawr Multibank, become a referral partner, donate goods or support the work of Faith in Families, visit our website and be part of what happens next.
