By Zoe Kerr

Copyright scotsman

The backpacks have been donated to the Big House Multibank by Amazon and their suppliers and packed by volunteers at Amazon in Dunfermline. The Big House Multibank distributes essential items to families in need across Edinburgh, Fife and other parts of Scotland. The primary school kits include a lunch bag, a water bottle, colouring pens, a notepad and more, while the backpacks being given to secondary school pupils contain a scientific calculator, a geometry set, and a notepad. Robbie Czajka, a volunteer from Amazon in Dunfermline, took part in the kitting. He said: “Packing these backpacks with my colleagues was incredibly rewarding – knowing that each one will help a child start the school year with confidence and the tools they need to succeed. It’s amazing to see how our small actions can make such a big difference in our community.” Jamie Strain, General Manager at Amazon in Dunfermline, added: “We’re proud to support the Kits for Kids campaign by working together to create these back-to-school kits. Education is fundamental to every child’s future, and going back to school should be an exciting time for everyone, regardless of their background. At Amazon, we’re committed to helping remove barriers that prevent young people from reaching their potential.” Adele Henderson, The Multibank Head of Partnerships, said: “The Multibank charity network is awesome. The Felix Project research saying that 67% of teachers were worried about kids in their class going hungry this summer struck a nerve. Where parents struggle to afford food, they are going to be priced out of the stuff needed to keep kids entertained in the holidays let alone for the return to school. “Our Kits for Kids campaign will we hope bring some downtime fun and escapism in what’s left of the holidays and ensure more of our kids have the smart stuff they need to start the new school year. “We have been blown away by our suppliers, who normally donate their surplus to us, but for this campaign they have donated completely new stock. A big shout out of thanks from us to Pan Macmillan, Bookmark Reading Charity, Hasbro, Colgate, Morrisons, Man City FC , Mercedes Benz Vans, Amazon and all The Multibank charity, holiday family support and health professionals who will now deliver these kits directly into the hands of the kids they know need them the most.” The Big House Multibank is part of The Multibank charity, co-founded by former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The charity is supporting more than 10,000 children across the UK with this campaign, by partnering with some of Britain’s most famous brand names, alongside teams of volunteers from Amazon. The Kits for Kids campaign follows research by Multibank charity partner, The Felix Project, which reports 67% of teachers in the UK are concerned the children they teach will be experiencing holiday hunger this summer. To help support parents across the country, The Multibank is working with Amazon, as well as book publishers Pan Macmillan, Hasbro games manufacturers, Colgate, Bookmark Reading Charity, Morrisons, football foundation Manchester City in the Community and sportswear giant Under Armour.