Tackling hygiene poverty together
What is hygiene poverty?
Hygiene poverty is being unable to afford the everyday items most of us take for granted.
It’s having to choose between eating or staying clean because you can't afford both. It’s being unable to change your baby’s nappy as often as you’d like. It’s using rolled-up loo rolls and socks because you can’t afford sanitary products, like tampons and pads.
There are over 3 million people living in hygiene poverty in the UK. It can impact someone at school, in their job or in their social life. If someone can’t be clean it can have a catastrophic effect on their mental wellbeing.
What is The Hygiene Bank?
Founded by Lizzie Hall (AKA our 2019 Woman of the Year), The Hygiene Bank provides essential hygiene and personal care products to those living in poverty. From deodorant to shower gel, and everything in between, this incredible charity is helping tackle hygiene poverty throughout the UK and Ireland – one donation at a time.
We're driven by a belief that nobody should be suffering in hygiene poverty. Being clean in this modern day Britain isn't a privilege or a luxury, but a basic human right.
About Boots' partnership with The Hygiene Bank
Supporting hygiene poverty in local communities isn’t a new mission for Boots. In fact, soap was one of the first non-medicinal products that our founder Jesse Boot sold, because he recognised that basic hygiene is the foundation of good health.
In 2019 our very first ‘Boots Wellness Warrior’ Women of the Year Award was given to The Hygiene Bank Founder Lizzy Hall. Since then Boots and The Hygiene Bank have worked together in partnership to provide essential hygiene and personal care products to those living in poverty.
