Faith in Families Cwtch Mawr Multibank has begun pilot deliveries in Bridgend, marking another step in its expansion to support communities across Wales as demand for essential support continues to grow.
Working with Bridgend County Borough Council, Bridgend Association of Voluntary Organisations (BAVO) and Councillor Jane Gebbie, the pilot sees essential goods delivered to local community and voluntary organisations supporting people facing increasing hardship. Deliveries include brand-new clothing, toiletries, nappies and everyday household basics, distributed through trusted partners already working at the heart of their communities.
The first delivery day brought partners together at Y Bont in Bridgend, with colleagues from Bridgend County Borough Council and BAVO attending to mark the start of the pilot and support the local organisations involved.
This Bridgend pilot is designed to test how the Faith in Families Cwtch Mawr Multibank model operates locally, with the intention to expand the offer further during 2026.
Cwtch Mawr Multibank provides brand-new essential goods through trusted partners, helping families quickly and with dignity. In Bridgend, deliveries will take place on scheduled routes to named charity partners, who will then distribute items locally through their existing services.
While the expansion reflects the strength of partnership working across Wales, it also highlights a difficult reality, the Multibank said. The cost-of-living crisis continues to deepen, poverty is not easing, and more people are finding it harder to afford the basics many of us take for granted, it said. For families already under pressure, the need for practical, immediate support has become more urgent, not less, it added.
Jon Waite, Facilities and Development Manager at Faith in Families, said:
“We are really pleased to be working with BAVO, Bridgend County Borough Council and local partners to begin this pilot, but it’s also important to be honest about why it’s needed. Families are struggling more, not less, and many are being pushed into impossible choices just to get by.
“Cwtch Mawr Multibank exists to make sure people can access essential items quickly and with dignity, through organisations they already trust. Reaching Bridgend is about standing alongside communities at a time when things are getting harder, and doing what we can, together, to help.”
Faith in Families Cwtch Mawr Multibank is part of the wider Multibank UK network and works with donating businesses including Amazon, helping redirect new surplus goods to communities. The model connects surplus with need, while reducing waste and supporting families at the same time.
Faith in Families is a Swansea-based charity working with children, families and communities. Through practical support, early help and partnership working, the charity responds to immediate need while continuing to advocate for longer-term change.
