Portsmouth Hygiene Bank opens to help those who face hygiene poverty across the city
A new Hygiene Bank has opened in Portsmouth to help the many people in the city who find themselves victims of hygiene poverty and have to face shame, humiliation and potential social isolation this brings.
Sadly, there are many people across the city that face hygiene challenges everyday. Some parents can't change their baby’s nappy as often as needed, or have to wash their hair, bodies and clothes in the same cheap washing up liquid used for the dishes.
Some people are housebound because they can’t afford period protection or feel judged for living in an unclean home because they can’t afford household cleaning products.
Amy Feist is the founder of the Portsmouth Hygiene Bank, she comments “Sadly, many people in Portsmouth are living in poverty and cannot afford to stay clean. At The Hygiene Bank, we believe it is not right that feeling clean should be a luxury or a privilege for anyone in our community. That is why The Hygiene Bank Portsmouth was set up – to give people in our city access to the basics they need.”
“The initial response to this new hygiene bank has been really positive, but we really need the help of organisations and individuals to help us collect hygiene products which are vital to help people in our community. It is particularly heart-breaking that at Christmas whilst many of us are enjoying giving and receiving gifts there are many people going without basic hygiene products”
The Hygiene Bank Portsmouth is asking people to donate new, unused, in-date personal care and household cleaning essentials - including deodorant, shower gel, shampoo, make-up, nappies, toilet roll, laundry detergent and surface cleaner.
Members of the public can drop off products at one of the drop off points listed below.
Whilst Portsmouth businesses and organisations can help by becoming a Hygiene Bank ‘Drop Off’ point.
Hygiene Bank Drop off points are vital to help people donate. It’s easy to become an official hygiene bank drop off point - you just need to provide a collection box in your premises that can be accessed by members of the public to drop off cleaning essentials and personal hygiene products.
A hygiene bank volunteer will collect the products as and when you need and take them to be sorted and distributed to our network of community partners - a mix of organisations, charities and schools.
If you would like to drop of hygiene products you can do this at one of our collection points: The Havelock Centre, Albert Road, Southsea
Boots branches across Portsmouth - Commercial Road, Ocean Village Retail Park, Gunwharf and Southsea.
If you can’t get to a drop off point, you can also donate via the Portsmouth Hygiene gift list on Common Good which helps charities get the products they most need https://www.forcommongood.co.uk/apps/giftregistry/registry/353055?_r=1&utm_source=gift_reggie&utm_medium=gift_reggie&utm_campaign=gift_reggie&utm_content=353055
Any businesses and organisations interested in becoming a collection partner please contact Amy on email [email protected]