Yarm Community Action Group Organises Charitable Collection for The Hygiene Bank

Our Community Action Group organised a charitable collection project in support of The Hygiene Bank.

The Hygiene Bank is a charity that strives to give hygiene, personal care and household cleaning products to people who need them across the UK. They collect, sort and distribute new, unused and in-date toiletries, hygiene basics, beauty and personal care and household cleaning essentials such as deodorant, shower gel, shampoo, make-up, toilet roll, laundry detergent and surface cleaner.

Our Community Action Group, who have been involved in a wide range of projects including local litter picks, book collections for local schools, food collections for Billingham Food Bank and clothes collections for Middlesbrough hospice Zoe’s Place, established drop-off points throughout the Senior School where pupils could make their donations. Within just two weeks, the Group collected an incredible eight large bin bags of toiletries and personal care products.

Chloe and Aimee, Sixth Form students and members of the Community Action Group, spoke to BBC Tees about the project…

The Hygiene Bank believes “Hygiene poverty can be shaming, humiliating, and excluding and can result in social isolation.

It can lead to a crippling lack of confidence and negatively affects good health and mental well-being, which can impact early childhood development, learning, employability and social interaction. Ultimately, this is about self- esteem and mental well-being.”

Yarm School Headmaster, Dr Huw Williams said: “This project was all about making a difference to the wider community. Feeling clean should not be a luxury for anyone in our society. We are grateful to our School community for the generous donations made.

“Our Community Action Group is an optional activity which runs as part of our wider activities programme. The group this year involves our Sixth Form students and is run by English Teacher, Ms Blakemore, but the whole school contributes to the group’s initiatives. It is part of our ethos here at Yarm that our pupils are active, caring and compassionate members of their local community and the wider world and this project perfectly demonstrates this.”

The Hygiene Bank has recently launched a new campaign. In the run-up to Christmas, they are inviting individuals and businesses to donate £15 through their JustGiving page to purchase a bag filled with essential toiletry products, along with a luxury item or two and a thoughtful Christmas card. In December the bags will be sent to The Hygiene Bank’s projects around the UK and Ireland to distribute to those in crisis in time for Christmas.