Dad was down on his hands and knees picking up crumbs behind his toddler.
A vacuum cleaner was among the many, many household essentials lacking in the scatter flat he and his two children had moved into.
Fleeing the other parent, he was glad to be safe in new accommodation in a new town with his young kids.
But they were surviving with the very basics until The Big House Multibank stepped in.
They are among many families in Fife whose lives have been made easier by the anti-poverty and anti-pollution charity.
A vacuum cleaner from the ‘coalition of compassion’
Family support worker Megan Harrison says: “They had mattresses and beds, a cooker, washing machine, basic kitchen equipment.
“But they didn’t have pillows or duvets. They only had two changes of clothing each.
“In a scatter flat there is furniture and white goods but sometimes the little things get missed.
“One day I went to see them and the toddler had just been eating. They [dad] were on their hands and knees picking up all the crumbs because they didn’t have a hoover.
“Toddlers are messy eaters they would have had to do this every meal time!”
The Big House Multibank was set up in 2021 by former prime minister Gordon Brown, The Cottage Family Centre and Amazon.
The ‘coalition of compassion’, as Mr Brown calls it, recycles companies’ surplus products by giving them to people who would struggle to afford them.
Professionals like Megan – also social workers, teachers, health visitors, teachers, GPs – can request goods impoverished families they work with need.
Vacuum cleaners are not often on The Big House’s inventory, but Megan and the dad were delighted when one was conjured up.
Another family Megan supports use The Big House regularly for toiletries, cleaning products and other essentials.
Dad’s life derailed when he was hurt in an accident
The single parent works but is physically and mentally disabled.
Megan says: “They also receive benefits but they find it really hard to make ends meet.
“If I can get them multi-surface cleaner, bleach, soap, shampoo, stuff like that every three or four weeks she doesn’t need to worry about getting these at the shops and can concentrate on buying food.”
The life of a dad spiralled out of control when was seriously injured in an accident.
With no family to help him, he was struggling to look after himself. Unable to cook, he was living on takeaways, and he was unable to take his rubbish downstairs from his flat.
Megan says: “By the time he was well enough to fix it, his house was in a total mess.”
He was embarrassed and worried about asking for help, fearing he might lose his tenancy.
When Fife Council’s housing service did get involved, his kitchen was in such a state it was decided to chuck everything and start again.
That’s where The Big House came in.
Megan says: “I was able to go to the Big House and say ‘I need all the bits and pieces for a kitchen – the cutlery, the plates, the glasses, pots, pans, utensils.
“And they said ‘ok, we can do that.”
The dad is now looking forward to resuming contact with his child at home.
All of the families Megan works with struggle financially. Some have suffered domestic abuse and have had to move home suddenly.
Families choosing between food and shampoo
Others have suffered family breakdowns. Some have mental health issues, others physical or mental disabilities.
They may face choosing between buying food or shampoo. For parents with children who may be bullied at school if they are unclean, this is a particularly harrowing decision.
Megan says: “If you’re a parent wondering what other kids will say about your kids if they can’t wash their hair that’s a really stressful position to be in.”
The help provided, she says, can make a massive difference to the self-esteem of both the parents and children.
“Younger kids probably pick up if mum feels tense or stressed. Or they could be looking around the classroom thinking ‘why do I have a really scabby coat compared to my friends?’
“Older kids may be really aware that they need to make sure they are clean. Kids can be cruel and they don’t want to get bullied.
“How are they supposed to concentrate on school when they have all this stuff going on in the background?”
You can help The Multibank by donating money to help cover its costs and buy additional items for people in need.
Conversation