Hygiene bank in Kent say issue a "hidden crisis"
Many are unable to afford sun cream for their families, despite temperatures of up to 30 degrees
As the summer holidays continue, we've been talking to Amy Harris, who runs Tenterden and Cranbrook's Hygiene bank, on the impact they can have for families unable to afford basic necessities.
The role of Hygiene Banks
Founded in 2018, the charity seeks to address hygiene poverty, which occurs when individuals cannot afford essential personal care items, impacting over 4.2 million adults in the UK as of 2024.
The Hygiene Bank's community-based approach to involve local volunteers in collecting donations.
These contributions are then distributed through organisations such as schools, refuges, and care homes, where individuals might struggle with hygiene poverty.
Additionally, strategic partnerships with Boots allow for the donation of unused items in collection boxes found in stores across Kent.
A Hidden Crisis
On the issue being a 'hidden crisis' in the UK Amy told us:
"I'd absolutely say that hygiene poverty is still a hidden crisis in the UK.
"Over the last eight years that we've been around, one of our main issues has been the fact that people have never even heard of hygiene poverty.
"And yet we know that long before someone visits a food bank or finds themselves in a situation where they're in crisis,
"They've already started either watering down the items that they've got or reducing purchasing those items or, you know, making alternative swaps for items that maybe they just can't afford to buy.
"So things like period products, replacing with toilet paper or you know, body wash replacing with fairy liquid, watering down fairy liquid.
"We know that the cost of living crisis is really pushing people more and more into hygiene poverty.
"When I started the project back in 2018 in Tenterden, we were supporting the food bank and the women's refuge and social services. Over the last eight years, the need has, I would say, at least tripled, if not quadrupled.
"And we're seeing that so many people are needing support. It's low income families, it's teaching assistants, it's catering people, carers, it's people that are in full-time employment, still not able to meet the needs of themselves and their families because the cost of everything has just gone up exponentially."
Sun Cream in the hot weather
One factor Harris said had made a huge impact to demand was the hot weather:
"We definitely see a surge in need and for additional items, especially with this weather, imagine not having access to sun cream deodorant and laundry detergent in this heat.
"It's been so hot. And so I think we really see an increase in need for those specific items as well, so that people can really keep themselves clean, but also keep themselves and their families safe from the sun."
On the difference a donation could make to a family she added: "It's either your children get burnt or they're not playing outside, how sad is that children can't be outside because they don't have sun cream.
"So there's no other reason why they couldn't be outside.
"And so what we really try and do before the summer holidays is we put out a social media post asking for people, if people are able to donate."
You can find your local hygiene bank, or volunteer to start one in an unstaffed area such as Maidstone or Dover, on the Hygiene Bank website.