Anti-poverty scheme ‘will benefit many thousands more’, says deputy mayor

Martin Shipton

Many thousands of people living in poverty in Carmarthenshire should benefit from the expansion of an innovative Multibank project, a campaigning deputy mayor has declared.

Labour Llanelli Town councillor Shaun Greaney, who represents Lliedi – one of the poorest wards in the county – said the scheme had benefited over 120,000 individuals in just over a year in Swansea alone.

Carmarthenshire County Council has now agreed to explore the potential of the Multibank to extend into its area.

The Cwtch Mawr Multibank was approached by Cllr Greaney in February 2025 to expand into Llanelli after reading about its anti-poverty work in the local media.

‘With up to one in three children living below the poverty line in Llanelli, and the county having the eighth highest poverty rate in Wales, it was a real opportunity to make a difference,’ he said.

Cwtch Mawr

Cwtch Mawr in Swansea has the backing of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, himself an anti-poverty campaigner, as well as retail giant Amazon.

The multibank and its charity partners have distributed 549,000 essential items such as clothing, bedding and hygiene products to 33,540 families from its depot in Llansamlet, Swansea.

The charity says that for every £1 invested in the project, it generates a social value of about £5.54, highlighting the initiative’s significant impact in addressing poverty and vulnerability.

“I’ve been on two fact-finding trips to the Cwtch Mawr depot in Llansamlet – the most recent with county councillor Martyn Palfreyman – and discovered the initiative had great potential to expand westward,” said Cllr Greaney. “Significantly, it has prevented 42% of the families it has helped from accumulating more debt.

“There had also been a 90% reduction in children’s stress and anxiety levels. ‘Parents also noticed improved confidence and self-esteem in their children,

“Clearly this project can offer hope to many families and individuals struggling with the rising cost of living in Llanelli and Carmarthenshire. It needed the support of Carmarthenshire council – with its responsibilities for housing, social services, education and anti-poverty measures.”

Debate

Following a lengthy debate, the county council backed the expansion of the project.

Llanelli Town Council had unanimously voted through a motion calling for county council approval of the project earlier in April.

After the vote at County Hall, Cllr Palfreyman and Labour group leader Cllr Deryk Cundy said they were delighted with the outcome.

“Such a commitment brings new hope to those struggling with the cost of living in Carmarthenshire and we will continue to do all we can to help ensure that our collective aspirations on this become a reality,’ they said in a joint statement.

Through its partnership with Amazon and other distributors, the initiative also helps ensure that goods are not sent to landfill but are made available to those that need them.

Llanelli MP Dame Nia Griffith said ‘I was really impressed by the vital work Cwtch Mawr is doing in Swansea and am keen to see how its benefits can be brought to people across Carmarthenshire. It will provide valuable backup to existing organisations including foodbanks which are already helping people in need, offering a wider range of items than is currently available and in so doing improving wellbeing and providing dignity.

“The UK Government is getting on with tackling poverty and inequality, having raised the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage, strengthening workers’ rights through the Employment Bill and establishing a ministerial task force looking into the causes of child poverty and how these can be addressed. While these changes come into effect and start to make a real difference, it’s vitally important that initiatives such as Cwtch Mawr are helped to support those struggling with the cost of living.”