We believe that being clean is a basic human right, not a luxury or privilege and no one should have to live in hygiene poverty. Beauty Banks links donations of personal care and hygiene products for women and men to local registered charities (including food banks, homeless centres, refuges and secondary schools) so that what’s donated locally, stays local. We have made contact with One Can Trust and Wycombe Homeless Connection as two charities that we work with closely to also register for this scheme.
Yesterday, together with Bucks New University, we announced that students and staff are joining forces with the Beauty Banks charity to help local people living in hygiene poverty with our joint 'Give to Refresh' initiative. Thanks to staff and students who came to the launch as well as Lush and the staff at Eden Centre Boots, we have already received over 250 products!
The most requested items – all of which must be unused – are shampoo/body wash; toothbrushes/toothpaste; disposable razors; deodorant; face wash; sanitary products; nappies/baby wipes; teenage products such as spot cream; and make up. Travel-size products are particularly useful for people living in temporary accommodation and homeless centres because it’s easy to carry them from place to place.
Bucks is the first university community in London and the south – and only the second in the UK – to set up a public donation point so that local residents and businesses can also get involved. Jo Jones, co-founder of Beauty Banks said, "Beauty Banks is a people-powered movement and as such we reply on people to power us forwards. Thanks to keen and active supporters like Buckinghamshire New University we are able to support more people in our communities living in hygiene poverty who need a hand-up."
Professor Gavin Brooks, Provost & Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Bucks New University, said, "We’re proud to play our part in tackling hygiene poverty by creating a way for the local community to help each other. The support of Lush and Waitrose is appreciated greatly, and we hope other local retailers will follow their lead."
Christina Demetriou, Vice President Student Involvement from Bucks Students’ Union said, "We believe that being clean is a basic human right, not a luxury or privilege. Everything we collect will be given to local charities registered with Beauty Banks so all donations will help those in our local area who need it most. We urge local charities who could benefit to register with Beauty Banks."
We would like to say a big thank you to High Wycombe retailers Lush and Waitrose who have already supported the project with donations of products as well as staff from Boots in the Eden Shopping Centre who have personally collected more than 100 donations from their colleagues. We have donation points at both our High Wycombe and Uxbridge offices as well as at the Aylesbury campus reception desk so please donate what you can.