‘I’D SIT IN CLASS AND TRY TO BE INVISIBLE’
Taylor, 19, explains what it’s like to be a young person living in hygiene poverty
Imagine you’re a teenager on the verge of adulthood. What would being unable to afford basic toiletries such as shower gel, shampoo and toothpaste do to your self-confidence?
That’s the situation Taylor found himself in a few years ago. Lack of money meant he had no access to products that would keep him clean. “I didn’t bother washing,” he admits. “At school I’d sit at the back of the class trying to be invisible.”
To make matters worse, his relationship with his mum broke down and Taylor left home at 16, sofa-surfing at friends’ houses and then dropping out of school. His mental health suffered, and he ended up sleeping rough for about six months until he was picked up by a local homeless charity, who helped him get back on track and sort out his benefits.
In supported housing, Taylor learned to budget and went back to college. The charity
The Hygiene Bank supported his housing unit by providing essential hygiene products – and that proved life-changing.
“I didn’t realise how much better I’d feel when clean,” says Taylor. “My confidence has grown and I feel more like I belong.”
A new survey commissioned by Boots and The Hygiene Bank* shows that the rising cost of living has meant more schoolchildren risk going without basic hygiene items. That’s why the two have joined forces to help: Boots has donated 50,000 products to The Hygiene Bank, and you can help too by donating any full, unused products in more than 500 Boots stores, and for every 1kg contributed Boots will match it with a full-sized product.
The Hygiene Bank will ensure all these go to those who need them. CEO Ruth Brock says, “No child should be getting ready for the first day of term without a clean uniform or the products they need to shower and brush their teeth.”