Medway and Maidstone Soroptimists are supporters of the Medway Hygiene Bank. In October it was National Hygiene Week from 6-12 October 2025, to raise awareness about hygiene poverty.
At our October club meeting, we brought donated hygiene products such as shower gel, which were needed. These were delivered to one of their collection points in Medway during National Hygiene Week and the donated items weighed 37.1kg.
8.7 million Brits have missed a job interview or a day at work because they could not afford hygiene products. One car repair. One lost job. One unexpected bill. That is all it takes for millions of UK adults to be pulled into hygiene poverty and many of us are struggling with these stresses alone.
And the consequences can have long-lasting implications, people avoid going to work or to job interviews, and they severely reduce and limit their social interactions. Hygiene poverty limits access to education, work and to routes out of poverty, yet research shows that over 1 in 5 people in the UK do not know what hygiene poverty is.
During National Hygiene Week, the Hygiene Bank highlighted this crisis by creating yellow moments that cannot be ignored. Buildings and landmarks nationwide were illuminated in bright yellow to draw attention to the millions who cannot afford everyday hygiene basics.