The idea
At The Hygiene Bank Swansea, essential hygiene products are donated, collected, sorted and distributed to a network of community partners - a mix of organisations, charities and schools - who support those of us pulled into poverty. Supporting The Hygiene Bank is a simple way to help not just one organisation, but multiple grassroots initiatives across the UK tackling a wide range of issues from poverty to domestic abuse and disability.
As a new Hygiene Bank in Swansea, we are looking for funding to rent a larger storage unit, including facilities such as shelving and stacking boxes, in order to be able to receive larger donations from big brands such as Boots, Nivea and Unilever. Currently we are only able to accept small donations, so this limits the amount of people in the Swansea community that we can help out. If we were to have a large storage unit we could accept many more products, which could benefit many more people who have been swept into poverty in Swansea.
What we'll deliver
- We will rent a large storage unit in Swansea for 12 months
- We will set the storage unit up with shelving and storage boxes for ease of storage
- We will ensure a safe volunteering environment with training and correct conditions
- We will distribute good quality hygiene products to individuals, families, schools and organisations
Why it's a great idea
With the facilities to accept larger donations we can provide more support to those experiencing poverty in Swansea. We can help more school children feel happier and more confident, and less likely to be bullied due to body odour. We can provide hairbrushes and toothbrushes, to prevent children going to school with matted hair or bad breath, because there is only one hairbrush or toothbrush in the household and there's no time for everyone to use it. We can provide washing powder for families to be able to launder clothes, school uniforms and muddy sports kits when needed. We can reduce the stigma often experienced by many for living in a dirty home, when families and individuals can't afford the cost of household cleaning products because they have to put food on the table. We can increase the self-worth of many who have been swept into poverty. And finally, we can give local people wanting to help tackle hygiene poverty the chance to make a difference in their local community.
Steps to get it done
- To have rented a large storage unit within Swansea for 12 months
- To have set up the unit for safely receiving larger product donations
- To have promoted the hygiene bank at community events using the roll up banners
- To have provided more Swansea communities with hygiene products
- To have recruited more volunteers
- To have all volunteers trained in manual handling
- To have received large bulk deliveries of hygiene products
What will support be used for?
A larger storage space: we currently work out of a small room kindly donated to us, however as we are growing the room is becoming too small for us and we are unable to receive larger donations by the pallet load, from our partners such as Boots. We therefore need a larger space to work more efficiently, effectively and safely.
Marketing materials: To date we have fundraised our first £270 to purchase a range of resources to get us going, however we need more promotional materials, such as banners, flyers and t-shirts, to raise awareness of our project and promote our work in and around Swansea.
Volunteer training: our volunteers work very hard moving boxes, making up hygiene packs and distributing them to those in need, so manual handling training is vital to maintain their health and safety.
