Hygiene poverty has 'real impact' on people's well-being says Herefordshire hygiene bank
New research from The Hygiene Bank has revealed around 1 in 12 (8%) people in the UK are experiencing hygiene poverty
A hygiene bank in Herefordshire says people are having to make more difficult choices when it comes to accessing hygiene products.
New research from The Hygiene Bank has revealed around 1 in 12 (8%) people in the UK are experiencing hygiene poverty.
The national charity have created an edible soap to highlight 5.3 million people in the UK had to choose between food and toiletries in the past year.
Mel Groves is the project coordinator for the charity in Hereford who also runs community food project in the area, she says it has a real impact on people and having support in place is really important.
She said: "With the increase in prices on everything that we're buying at the moment there's a lot more working people that are in poverty and are not able to buy those products that they would usually buy.
"People are having to change and prioritise things really, where people are thinking they'll buy this shampoo or this shower gel, some people are going without those things because they need to buy food products.
"It has a real impact on people's well-being, it prevents children going to school, it prevents people going to work and impacts your mental health, so with that being able to offer hygiene products is really useful and can help."