Hygiene Poverty is a hidden crisis affecting communities across the UK. By supporting The Hygiene Bank, I am part of the growing social movement that aims to tackle hygiene poverty and improve the well-being of those living on a low-income.
So, what is hygiene poverty? It's not being able to afford many of the everyday hygiene, personal grooming and household cleaning products most of us take for granted. The reality of low income is that it restricts peoples options, leaving us caught between being able to heat our homes, pay the rent, eat or stay clean.
We work with communities to inspire social change. Our projects work with a range of community partners such as food banks, shelters, and refuges, to identify and respond to the direct needs of those of us experiencing poverty and struggling to keep clean. Alongside this grass-roots movement, we also aspire to mitigate the social stigma surrounding hygiene poverty, by raising awareness of the issue at a national level.