Play your part to raise money and help tackle hygiene poverty in schools with 'Suds in Schools' campaign

Sustainable cleaning product company smol is looking to tackle the prevalent problem of hygiene poverty in schools - and they need your help to raise money for the cause.

Hygiene poverty has never been a more pressing issue than in 2023 - due to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, many more families are struggling to afford even basic amenities such as cleaning products.

This has a trickle-down effect so even schoolchildren are unfortunately feeling the effects of this squeeze. A report conducted by smol and The Hygiene Bank unearthed some startling statistics surrounding hygiene poverty; a staggering 74 per cent of parents struggling to afford hygiene essentials have had to send their child to school in dirty clothes over the past year.

Additionally, 71 per cent of teachers surveyed are aware of pupils experiencing hygiene poverty in the past six months, with nearly three-quarters noting a marked increase in the past year.

However, while 24.2 per cent of teachers have either stepped in themselves to wash pupils’ uniforms, or have been aware of other members of staff doing so, many of them report feeling ‘powerless’ amidst difficult conversations with both parents and children around the subject of hygiene poverty.

smol want to tackle this problem two-fold; by providing washing facilities in schools, they can hopefully provide a safe space where any stigma surrounding hygiene poverty can be removed.

They first launched their ‘Suds in Schools’ campaign in 2021 in partnership with the charity The Hygiene Bank, which saw them raise an impressive £50,000 to install over 50 mini laundrettes in schools across the country, many of which are situated in Bolton and across Greater Manchester.

After the success of the first