What is National Hygiene Week?
Organised by The Hygiene Bank charity, the 3rd annual National Hygiene Week will host a mix of activities bringing individuals, communities, businesses and thought leaders together to tackle hygiene poverty.

Rising poverty levels in the UK is a growing concern. In December 2021, The Joseph Rowntree Foundation suggests this year 200,000 people could be pulled into deep poverty should inflation stays as high as 5.1% in April 2022.

JRF also reports that while many families managed to save during the pandemic and thus have some additional reserves to cope with rising prices, lower income families were left exposed, with a third of low-income families already behind on their bills in December 2021.

Those experiencing hygiene poverty can often be held back from fully participating in society due to the negative impact on health and mental well-being such as avoiding school, not being able to join in sports, impact on employability, and less social interactions.

The Hygiene Bank is a national, grassroots, volunteer-powered charity with a vision that one day everyone living in the UK will have access to essential hygiene products. Their network of projects exists to provide basics to people living in poverty who are unable to afford to stay clean. They believe feeling clean should not be a luxury or a privilege in the modern world and so they work to inspire social change.

When is National Hygiene Week 2022?
National Hygiene Week returns from the 3rd-9th October 2022, to help raise awareness about hygiene poverty and its impact on those pulled into poverty.

How to get involved in National Hygiene Week 2022.
Many organisations in the third and private sector have gotten involved in previous National Hygiene Weeks participating in events and actions such as panel discussions, educational resources for schools, social media campaign, media coverage, MP engagement and more. Participating organisations included Boots UK, Centre for Social Justice, FareShare, HeyGirls, icanyoucantoo, In Kind Direct, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Little Village, Pura, The New Social Covenant, Mayor’s Fund for London, Star Academies, Trussell Trust, Unilever, Women’s Aid, and more.

You can learn more about National Hygiene Week here.

If you would like to get involved in National Hygiene Week 2022, please email NHW@thehygienebank.com.