Internet giant Amazon is donating 400,000 household items to families. The new charity initiative will be based at The Brick, in Wigan, and will help 50,000 families.
Former prime minister Gordon Brown and Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham helped launch the project. The scheme will run a community donations hub where Amazon and other companies can donate surplus products. They will be given to charity groups and care professionals such as social workers, teachers and midwives.
The Wigan project is an extension of the "multibank" model that was launched in Fife, Scotland. More than 500,000 items were donated and 50,000 families benefited.
