clean up child hygiene poverty.
smol things make a big difference.
Join smol in our fight alongside The Hygiene Bank charity and UK state school staff to clean up child hygiene poverty; and watch us lay down a challenge to the MPs at Westminster…
Did you know that UK school staff fork out £40 million* from their own pockets every year just to keep the kids in their classrooms clean?
1 in 4 households with children** live in hygiene poverty right now, unable to wash their uniforms or PE kit. This sad reality means children regularly miss school days for lack of clean clothing, for fear of being bullied and stigmatised, or because their physical and mental health is being impacted.
So what’s to be done?
The government’s Child Poverty Taskforce MUST agree that any child poverty strategy is INCOMPLETE without plans to clean up child hygiene poverty.
how can you help? easy…
Please use our template (linked below) to write to your own MP. Simply insert your own details so the email makes sense (it just takes a couple of minutes).
who is smol?
Here at smol we’re all about award-winning, high-performance, innovative cleaning products that work brilliantly in your home and are better for the planet. And as a cleaning brand we’re aware of the reality of hygiene poverty via the incredible people at The Hygiene Bank. Enabling our customers to donate directly to the charity has seen 2.2 MILLION laundry capsules head to those in need. And our ever-growing Suds in Schools project has now installed 100 free-to-use mini laundrettes in schools around the UK so no child in their care has to suffer the consequences of not having clean clothes/uniforms.
who is the hygiene bank charity?
The Hygiene Bank is a UK charity supporting UK community networks that give access to basic hygiene products for those experiencing hygiene poverty. It was founded by Ruth Brock, a former teacher and foundation leader with years of experience working with families living in disadvantaged communities. The Hygiene Bank doesn’t believe that feeling clean is a luxury or privilege, yet 4.2 million UK adults currently live in poverty and can’t afford the everyday hygiene and cleaning products most of us take for granted. Our mission is to give people access to those essentials. You can support The Hygiene Bank in many different ways so please visit our website thehygienebank.com
who are the nasuwt?
NASUWT -The Teachers' Union is the only union dedicated to representing teachers and headteachers throughout the UK. It campaigns and organises on behalf of the profession in all sectors from early years to further education. The union has around 275,000 members.
*Censuswide, among a sample of 503 18+ State School staff who interact with pupils at least 5 days per week. Data collected between 09.09.2024-12.09.2024
**In Kind Direct Spring 2024 report