The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Beauty bank has a feelgood factor
New Angus enterprise will tackle hygiene poverty and social isolation
A foodbank-style enterprise has been set up to combat hygiene poverty in Carnoustie.
The local branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland has established a beauty bank to help provide disadvantaged people with sanitary products.
Chairman Davie Paton said they have been overwhelmed by the effort to help the rising number of people forced to go without things like toothpaste, shampoo and deodorant.
Mr Paton said stocking up on every day beauty essentials is something most people take for granted, but for those who are struggling to meet the cost of the weekly shop it is sometimes the first thing to go from the list.
The tie-up came about after Pam Laird of Fin and Co and her friend Pauline Mcnicoll saw that the Legion was doing food deliveries to help the vulnerable and needy.
They approached Mr Paton to see if the Legion would also be interested in helping distribute beauty products, toiletries and cosmetics to them.
On behalf of the non-profit national charity Beauty Banks they placed a donation box in the salon doorway and have been overwhelmed at the generosity of Carnoustie people – customers and passers-by.
“As well as fighting hygiene poverty, there is another important social issue that the beauty bank donations are helping with,” said Mr Paton.
“When we go round with our weekly food deliveries to families, we are seeing people who are stuck in social isolation.
“The donations are allowing folk to feel special about themselves again.
“When we delivered to one young lady she was over the moon to be given lipstick and cosmetics that she would not normally have been able to afford.
“Pam and Pauline said the motto is that ‘it should be a right to be clean not a privilege’ and that really struck home.”
Tens of thousands of health and hygiene products have been donated by the public to the Beauty Banks scheme, which distributes them to more than 125 charities around the country, since it was set up in 2017.