Share the Load with Us

“A young lady came in to us in tears, with one child in a buggy and a 3 year old. Her washing machine had broken down. She didn’t have enough money to do all the washing for her children that week. So, it was very helpful that she was able to get washing tablets from us. We really couldn’t run as efficiently and serve as many clients, if we didn’t have Food Bank Aid.” Alison, Hornsey Food Bank Manager

It’s National Laundry Day this month and we’re launching our Share the Load campaign to highlight the issue of hygiene poverty.

According to data from In-Kind Direct’s Hygiene Poverty Briefing, 1 in 6 people in the UK are now in Hygiene Poverty, which is classed as when someone goes without one or more hygiene products because they can’t afford them and is often considered as a precursor to going without other essentials.
This equates to 17% of the population and when surveyed, 28% of people were washing their clothes less frequently than needed and 17% said that they were going without hygiene products to be able to afford food.

Just over 9 million adults are being affected, with 61% of them being in employment and 30% of them having mortgages.
Hygiene poverty leaves people feeling embarrassed and anxious.
The effect of going without these essential products on mental health makes it difficult to do everyday activities, such as see a friend or attend a job interview, making it progressively harder to live life normally.

Visit our campaign page and virtual shop to Share the Load, and please share with your friends if you can.