According to the anti-poverty campaign the Trussell Trust, which runs two-thirds of the UK’s food banks and works with brands such as Waitrose and Tesco, a record 823,145 food parcels were handed out between April and September this year. A figure which includes 301,653 that went to children. This equates to a 23% increase on the same period last year. It is an ecosystem in which the need for health and beauty essentials is real and ‘hygiene poverty’ is on the rise.
As Beauty Banks explain, “We are a people powered grass roots movement who believe that being clean is a basic human right, not a luxury and not a privilege. We exist to make 'hygiene poverty' history while supporting those living in poverty in the UK, those who can't afford to be clean, with personal care and hygiene essentials. This is about dignity, self-confidence and mental wellbeing. This is also about change. We support those in need while lobbying the UK government, as part of a Beauty APPG, to make change happen. Ours is beauty with purpose".
Will King, Founder of King of Shaves, has invited rival brands including Unilever, L’Oreal and Nivea to join the pledge and follow suit. A move which could potentially see thousands of essential health and beauty products donated annually. It’s an opportunity for brands to come together and genuinely make a difference; one whose impact could be felt well beyond the Black Friday frenzy.
Illustration © Miss Magpie Fashion Spy. Prints are available to donate to Beauty Banks.