Anti-poverty scheme sees nearly 7,000 items distributed to needy families

Martin Shipton

A campaigning councillor has given out thousands of free items in partnership with charities in an anti-poverty drive he describes as “hugs not handouts”.

Llanelli Labour town councillor Shaun Greaney, who first brought the idea of expanding the hugely successful Cwtch Mawr Multibank to the town and Carmarthenshire as a whole, said supplies of nearly 7,000 clothing and household items were issued to people in need.

Working with Ty Gwyn Church, Tyisha Foodbank, Myrtle House Foodbank, Llanelli LLAMAS (Llanelli Autistic Mothers Association), Llanelli Women’s Refuge, Links mental health charity, and Morfa Family Centre, Cllr Greaney said the help had brought smiles to the faces of many people in difficult circumstances.

“It has been wonderful to spearhead a project that could one day make a huge difference to the wellbeing and lives of thousands of Llanelli and Carmarthenshire residents,” he said.

“As a councillor and resident of Llanelli I have seen poverty at close quarters. It is a scourge on our society. It leads to premature deaths and blights the lives of too many families. I am determined to do everything I can to tackle this through direct action and hard work.

“There is a massive problem in our community. It rarely makes headlines and it doesn’t feature strongly enough in local political discourse in my opinion. Fourteen years of Tory austerity has hollowed out public services, despite all the efforts of my hardworking council colleagues.”

Cllr Greaney said he felt “too often political differences and red tape, as well as the huge demand and pressures on public services, slows direct, meaningful action to meet the needs of people in horrendous circumstances.”

Speaking after taking delivery of a batch of free baby milk for infants from the Cwtch Mawr Multibank – which has already been issued to the Llanelli Foodbank at Myrtle House, Tyisha Foodbank and Llanelli LLAMAS, Cllr Greaney said: “I have been proud to do my bit to get help to those who need it most. Cwtch Mawr Multibank in Swansea has been extremely generous and helpful with those aims in mind.

“I have heard of a young girl, aged nine, who received a pair of new shoes as a result of the Multibank’s work – she was thrilled and had tears in her eyes. Why? Because she had never had anything new in her life. It’s heartbreaking to hear tales like that and that children are sometimes taken into care with their belongings in black refuse bags.

‘I firmly believe it’s incumbent on all of us who can to do what we can to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Councils and councillors in particular, of all political parties, should put the poverty problem at the top of the agenda. If we don’t we will be condemning another generation.”

His plea comes after the Cwtch Mawr Multibank extended into Bridgend benefiting many residents in similar struggling circumstances as those in Llanelli and rural Carmarthenshire.

Dignity

He said: “I’ve seen for myself the difference that hugs not handouts can make. It delivers dignity. It allows families to function. It helps keep the wolf from the door.

“I want to pay a massive tribute to the charities and organisations that have taken this project on. It’s extra work for the volunteers and the charities but with their willing and welcome assistance we have cut through obstacles and red tape to reach the people that need the help.

‘Long may that continue and may nothing stop the love spreading out. If people are hungry, feed them. If they are dishevelled, clothe them and tidy them up. Let’s stop demonising and judging people because of their financial circumstances.

‘Let’s make a difference in our communities, give real, meaningful help to those who need it, and do everything possible to encourage and enable the incredible community spirit that makes me proud to live in, and represent just a small part of the wonderful, welcoming town of Llanelli.”

The Multibank idea was the brainchild of former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown and works with major companies including Amazon, to redistribute unsold items in pristine condition to communities in need.

Controversially, some years ago unsold stock and end of lines went into landfill.

Since the Swansea Cwtch Mawr Multibank, which works in conjunction with the charity Faith in Families, was established it has given out almost 1.5 million items in the Swansea Bay area.