Across the West of Scotland, many families are struggling to secure the essential items needed to maintain a safe, warm, and dignified home. At the same time, large volumes of high‑quality retail goods, ranging from clothing and toiletries to household items and furniture, go unused or are at risk of disposal. A multibank aims to bridge this gap by creating a large‑scale, coordinated system that diverts surplus goods from retailers directly to families who need them most, working in partnership with local third sector organisations.
A feasibility study is currently exploring the potential to establish a Multibank in Glasgow to serve the wider West of Scotland region. The model combines offers a range of non-food items, ensuring that families can access a broad package of support in one place. Crucially, referrals and distribution are delivered through trusted third sector partners who understand their communities and beneficiaries and can identify households facing material hardship.
This survey is aimed at organisations, largely third sector, who can get these goods where they are most needed. Your insight is vital. This survey invites organisations like yours to share views on community needs, referral pathways, demand for goods, and opportunities for collaboration. By contributing, you will help shape a model that strengthens local support systems, reduces waste, and provides families with the practical foundations they need to thrive.
This can also be completed by agencies such as schools, health visitors, or social work.
We would be very grateful if you would take a short time to input to the research by completing this survey. If you would like any further information, please contact Douglas Westwater on douglas@communityenterprise.co.uk or on 07989 306374. The survey will close on the 31st of March.
Community Enterprise, a social enterprise consultancy, is leading this research and their privacy policy can be seen here. Surveymonkey's privacy policy can be seen here.