Telford-based charity reveals shocking impact of growing hygiene poverty crisis in the West Midlands
The latest data has uncovered that in the West Midlands, 25% of UK adults who couldn’t afford hygiene products noted that they themselves or someone in their household within the last year has had to go without hygiene products to be able to afford food.
New data is shining a light on the deepening hygiene poverty crisis in the UK, with nearly 10 million UK adults currently affected. Research from charity In Kind Direct reveals nearly 1 in 5 UK adults are currently living in hygiene poverty, up by almost 1 million compared to 2023 data.
Simon Lellow from Telford Crisis Centre, reveals that “We regularly see families asking for help with essential products like soap, period products, shampoo and deodorant. Without these items, they often don’t have the confidence to go to job interviews, school or work.
"We recently supported a mother who had fled domestic abuse, we gave her an emergency pack including baby and hygiene products. She was so overwhelmed with the support she had received. It really does make a huge difference.”
Marc Greene, acting CEO at In Kind Direct comments: “Hygiene poverty is still not being spoken about enough. And as it gets worse, it is having an incredibly detrimental effect on many families across the UK, forcing them to make impossible decisions on a daily basis. Parents are sending their children to school without brushing their teeth and skipping meals to afford laundry detergent to wash their uniforms – decisions no one should have to face. We are working tirelessly to get essential hygiene products to people who need them across the UK, and we’re calling for the public to help us raise vital funds to do so.’’
Donating £10 could help supply six hygiene packs, reducing the pressure on six families for a month, if you would like to help, visit charityextra.com/inkinddirect.
