Britain's new social safety net

New Statesman​

23-05-2025

Photo by James Speakman / PA Wire
The old saying goes 'it takes a village' to raise a child – that is as true today as it ever has been. With technological advancements making it easier than ever to access unregulated content and youth centre funding at an all-time low, you could argue that the need for a neighbour, an ally, a friend, is greater than ever. A figure to confide in, to offer a helping hand, to share in the highs and the lows; the invaluable notion of neighbour appears to have been lost.
According to The Hygiene Bank statistics, fear of stigma is preventing 48 per cent of those most in need from asking for help. Coincidence? The negative characterisation we have formed around asking for help has driven families, many of whom are in work, to internalise struggle, leaving the home racked with anguish and despair. The young people co-existing with parents whose mental health has been affected by the daily struggle of providing turn instead to online communities for an escape.
Unprecedented events, Covid-19, the invasion of Ukraine and more have combined to cause unprecedented levels of hardship for ordinary, hard-working people. According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, from April 2022 to January 2024, energy and food prices rose 75 per cent and 30 per cent respectively. The impact of hardship on physical health and the pressure this places on NHS resource is well documented, but the rise in hardshiprelated school absence and the vast attainment gap that established itself in the Covid lockdowns is of particular concern. As a society, we simply cannot afford for our children to be any further disengaged from the education system, nor can we afford for them to seek meaningful relationships online as an alternative to real-world interaction.
According to Giving World, more than £2bn worth of excess products are estimated to be destroyed or wasted in the United Kingdom every year, some of those landfilled – excess products that could be utilised to service growing societal need.
The six Multibanks, located across the UK, form an innovative ecosystem that redirects business surplus to communities most in need via a grassroots network of healthcare professionals, teachers, charities and community groups.
A regional safety net, designed to drive readiness, the Multibank fills the deficit that our modern rejection of community has left. Whether it be baby supplies, washing detergents, household cleaning products or clothing, the Multibank can help members of the community to get back on their feet in their time of need.
For those born into a postcode deemed as 'wrong', the Multibank delivers opportunity, equipping families with the tools, resources, confidence and optimism they require to truly maximise their potential and integrate seamlessly into society. No child should be starting school behind any other simply because of the area in which they were born. the Multibank enables real-world escapism, away from digital devices, and inspires ambition through simple acts of kindness. This is bigger than policy. This is community.
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A community made up of selfless volunteers, committing their time and energy to guarantee that there is somewhere to turn when times get hard. It is the greatest example of how opportunity and support can be paid forward, with many of the Multibank's volunteers themselves having required a similar level of support in the past.
The Multibank is no monopoly. There is great consideration for trusted community access points, whether that be a food pantry or a baby bank. The Multibank endeavours to keep those at the forefront of community in supply, enabling them to respond effectively in moments of emergency, and to instil well-deserved dignity into those whose place is always last in the pecking order of household need.
Much like a local sports club, the Multibank stands shoulder-to-shoulder with its community, understanding the power of togetherness to implement positive change. Instead of clapping for the NHS, we can come together to support our key workers by alleviating the pressures enforced by poverty and by the psychological and physical challenges of hardship. Instead of vocally expressing sympathy for our teachers, we can step in to eliminate any need for them to collectively spend in excess of £40m a year equipping their students with uniform and hygiene products as a means of countering divisiveness and bullying in their classrooms.
While football fans are often demonised for the passion of their fandom, the Multibank looked to them this winter to support a growing deficit of hygiene products. In an incredible outpouring of compassion and humanity, fans turned up in their thousands to give what little they had to give without judgement, in support of those that are currently going without. There are few cohorts that consistently club together when called upon with the same fervour as football fans do, and that have the means to inspire togetherness and belonging. Inside a stadium, a fanbase stands as one, tied by a shared desire for success without the divisiveness of race, religion or sexual orientation.
Business surplus is imperative to the Multibank's success – it is the 12th man, to use a football analogy. Business must see the value in the proposition – investing in the next generation and generating a loyalty that will be repaid in adulthood. A key priority of business is to successfully engage youth demographics as a means of retaining brand relevancy in an ever-changing world, and youth priorities have never been more in tune with societal need. Businesses must see the value in the Multibank proposition and invest in the future.
According to Accenture, shoppers are now four to six times more likely to purchase from a purpose-driven business. For every £1 of investment into the Multibank ecosystem, £5.49 in social value is generated. Professionals report a 59 per cent increase in school attendance and a 90 per cent reduction in children's anxiety and stress levels following Multibank support. Britain's most valuable economy is its community. Consider being a teammate and impacting the game by picking those up who hit the ground, enabling them to get back on their feet and see through the entirety of the match.
This is how we re-establish community. This is how we re-establish connectivity. Togetherness. Understanding. Where value sits in the epicentre of real-world events. With the Multibank placed at the centre of community, we have a golden opportunity to establish invaluable real relationships, away from the toxicity and confusion of the digital arena, and above all give those most in need a sense of dignity and hope for a better future.
This article first appeared in our Spotlight on Child Poverty supplement, of 23 May 2025, guest edited by Gordon Brown.
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