A charity founded by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown is to ramp up its campaign against childhood hygiene poverty in 2025.
The Multibank, working with Fans For Foodbanks, a number of sports clubs across Britain and The Hygiene Bank, has collected tens of thousands of hygiene products at sporting fixtures over the Christmas and New Year period.
The Multibank campaign included a special appeal for deodorant, shower gels, soap and other hygiene products following concerns that children, especially teenagers, are socially isolating – including from school – for fear of being told they smell.
According to a recent survey for The Hygiene Bank more teachers are spending money out of their own pockets to combat the effects of hygiene poverty in the classroom.
The Multibank’s campaign against childhood hygiene poverty received a boost today when online giant Amazon launched a drive to bring 250,000 hygiene products to The Multibank by the end of January, by spearheading a new collaboration between its customers and suppliers of well-known household brands.
Gordon Brown said: “Thanks to the generosity and compassion of so many sports fans, many children are returning to school this week feeling a lot more comfortable in their own skin and more confident to take their place in the classroom because they have soap, shampoo, toothpaste and deodorant and their families have the products they need to keep them and their clothes clean.
“Last month’s Multibank inspirational donation drive by sports fans means, this month children will be able to go to and stay engaged at school – and socially – simply because they feel and smell clean. We can do much more to support them in 2025.
“I’m delighted Amazon, whose surplus stocks are already a mainstay of Multibank goods, are launching a multi-business collaboration amongst hygiene companies to increase the amount of hygiene goods supplied to our Multibanks. I thank all the companies involved.
“We know the Multibanks are making a real difference keeping hard-pressed families facing the future with some hope of better days ahead. We must now keep innovating how we do charitable work in our communities because too many children need the help right now and teachers tell us that keeping kids clean and smelling fresh is for them a priority issue.”
John Boumphrey, Amazon UK country manager, said: “We are incredibly proud to have supported the foundation and continued expansion of the Multibank network.
“It has been inspiring to see sports fans donating to the recent hygiene poverty campaign and helping those most in need in our communities.
“We want to continue that goodwill and by working together with our suppliers and our customers, we hope to generate hundreds of thousands more donations and alleviate the consequences of hygiene poverty.”
