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The voice of Scotland’s vibrant voluntary sector

Published by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

TFN is published by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6BB. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Registration number SC003558.

Leadership team unveiled for anti-poverty project

This news post is 7 months old
 

Former chief constable, Sir Iain Livingstone, will chair Multibank. 

The former chief constable of Police Scotland has been unveiled as the chair of a multi-million pound anti-poverty project. 

Sir Iain Livingstone has been appointed to head up the Multibank Project, a drive to deliver donations of millions of pounds worth of household goods to Scottish families in need.

The charity, launched in 2022 by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, has set an ambitious target to provide £25m worth of goods to households struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

Sir Iain Livingstone said: “As a police officer for over 30 years, I saw at first hand the devastating effect of poverty in communities, and in particular for children and young people.

“To achieve fairer and safer communities we must tackle poverty. It’s a priority for both social justice and social cohesion.

“That’s why I’m honoured to join the mission to help provide people across Scotland a lifeline out of poverty through the work of Multibanks.”

Kirsty Thomson, former chief executive officer of Dundee and Glasgow-based social enterprise The Circle, will join the organisation as chief executive. 

Warehouses have already been established in Fife and elsewhere in the UK, with more expected to open in Dundee, Edinburgh and Perth and Kinross.

The Multibank project receives donated household goods from companies for distribution to local families in need.

Donations can include food, soap, bedding, toothpaste, shampoo, toilet rolls, nappies and cleaning products.

The goods come directly from nearly 90 companies across the UK.

Ms Thomson said: “The dedication and passion of this organisation is inspiring, and I am committed to furthering our impact and driving meaningful change for those in need.

“Together with Rt Honourable Gordon Brown, the highly experienced board of trustees, talented team, dedicated volunteers and generous supporters, I look forward to building on our strong foundation and exploring new opportunities to serve our communities and advance our mission.”