Page 10 - BPW-UK - E-news - Edition 122 - June 2024 - PDF Format

While on holiday in Northern Ireland ….

Jo took some time to visit Kat O’Reilly: Craigavon Area Coordinator for The Hygiene
Bank, to hear how the MEF Christmas support grant of £1,000 had been put to use.
Kat explained the grant was used to support two groups within The Hygiene Bank network -
The Hygiene Bank Moira and The Hygiene Bank Craigavon. The Hygiene Bank Craigavon has
only started with the area previously covered by The Hygiene Bank Moira.

The grant was used to purchase hygiene products to distribute to those in the com-
munity who would otherwise go without these basic items, focussing specifically on the
needs of women and children. Kat works closely with community partners to assess what
hygiene products service users need most. These products are then purchased and delivered
to our community partners to ensure they are stocked with these critical supplies as and
when needed by their beneficiaries.

The Hygiene Bank partners with In Kind Direct, a charity which distributes new do-
nated usable consumer goods from manufacturers and retailers to charities. They are able to
make huge savings using In Kind Direct - for example purchasing 12 packs of period prod-
ucts for £6 instead of £23. The Hygiene Bank have previously turned £1,000 into over
£5,000 worth of product.

The Hygiene Bank is made up of various smaller groups that work directly in the ar-
ea. This ensures that products donated or purchased stay within that area to help communi-
ty partners directly dealing with the need.

The Hygiene Bank is a grass roots, people-powered charity and social movement,
grounded in the community. Their passion stems from the injustice that people may be una-
ble to fully participate in society due to hygiene poverty.

Volunteers work to inspire social change. They believe it is not right that feeling
clean should be a luxury or a privilege for anyone in our society, yet many are living in pov-
erty and cannot afford to stay clean. That is why our network of projects exists – to give
people access to the basics they need.

Community partners consist of Foodbanks, Women’s Aid, Community groups includ-
ing outreach programmes and schools. We regularly get requests for nappies, shower gel,
shampoo, roll on deodorant, period products and cleaning products. The community groups
we work with do not have the funding to purchase these but are noticing a greater need for
these products.