Spinnaker Tower lit up yellow for National Hygiene Week
The Spinnaker Tower joined 22 iconic buildings across the UK that were lit up yellow to mark National Hygiene week and to shine a light on hygiene poverty.
National Hygiene Week 2025 which took place from October 6-12 aims to raise awareness, increase understanding and inspire action. The Portsmouth Hygiene Bank are asking people across the city to consider donating to one of the permanent drop-off locations.
Amy Feist, Coordinator, The Hygiene Bank Portsmouth comments “We are delighted that The Spinnaker Tower has been lit up for National Hygiene Week. It’s a great way to raise awareness of the issue of hygiene poverty in Portsmouth.
“We only set up The Hygiene Bank Portsmouth last year and have been providing hygiene essentials to local charities, food banks, baby banks and other community partners but we know that more people need our help.
“Across the UK, 5.3 million people are living in hygiene poverty. That is about two children in each classroom whose family can’t keep their uniform clean and four people in your workplace who feel uncomfortable about attending the office or turning on their camera in calls.
“Sadly many people are not aware of hygiene poverty or its impact and if they are they don’t know what they can do to help.
“That’s where we can help - we are calling for businesses across the city to run a collection point on their premises and individuals to donate unused hygiene products. We’ve already got a number of collection points across the city but we need more”.
The Hygiene Bank Portsmouth has a number of donation drop off points where the public can donate unused hygiene products.
Permanent drop-off points
Boots stores - Commercial Road, Ocean Village Retail Park, Gunwharf Quays and Palmerston Road Southsea
Havelock Community Centre, Albert Road Southsea
Great Western Railway offices, Fratton Bridge
Further information can be found at www.thehygienebank.com including more about National Hygiene Week, the landmarks lighting up yellow, and the different ways people can get involved. Whether it’s donating, volunteering or signing the petition, every action helps us move closer to ending hygiene poverty for good.
National Hygiene Week comes as the charity reveals 8.7 million people in the UK have missed work because they couldn’t afford hygiene products. Furthermore, those affected by hygiene poverty feel shame, anxiety, depression with 68% saying it has affected their mental health.
The charity is looking to raise further awareness of hygiene poverty as unfortunately 1 in 5 people in the UK don’t know what hygiene poverty is, whilst 3 in 10 Brits (30%) say they don’t know how to help those in hygiene poverty.