Last updated on April 13th, 2026 at 01:53 pm
Marie* and her three children live in a small flat on the edge of Woking, a large commuter town in Surrey. The block that the flat is situated in is run down, but there is no sign of any repairs being done. The family find that they have little personal space at home and they are living life on a tightrope: financially, mentally and physically. Will the rent be paid this month? What will have to be sacrificed this month so that Sarah*, the middle child, can go on her school trip and not be bullied for missing out?
Marie’s husband, Peter*, died several years ago, and they had previously enjoyed a stable family life and comfortable home. To Marie, that now feels like a lifetime ago. Whilst managing her grief, and trying to support the children through theirs, she’s also trying to make ends meet. The trouble is, the financial demands keep coming, and they are all important. New school shoes for everyone, healthy meals on the table, plenty of Calpol in stock for her toddler, Jake*.
As a mother, Marie is doing everything she can for her children, but consequently, her health is deteriorating. Hygiene essentials such as toothbrushes, soap and shampoo are starting to feel like luxuries. She feels embarrassed, ashamed, and any confidence that remained was slipping away. Marie also started to notice her eldest son, Oscar*, was developing signs of stress – she’s trying to keep her worries away from him, but as an observant teenager, he was aware of the situation.
Marie had previously heard about The Lighthouse, which is home to The Hygiene Bank (THB) Woking. After one particularly difficult morning, Marie took a deep breath and went along. She was met with warm smiles, friendly volunteers and most importantly, no judgement.
THB Woking supports up to 50 individuals per week, and empowers guests to make choices for themselves about what will be most suitable for themselves and their families. One guest visits at a time, so they have privacy and time, and this is a brilliant opportunity for the team to signpost them to any other support they may need. Sadly, due to the cost-of-living crisis, THB Woking are seeing an increase of 20 service users every month, and as a result, is having to recruit more volunteers and increase its opening hours.
When Marie arrived, she was shaking with nerves and trying to justify to herself that it was OK to be there. The team explained to her that she could choose ten items, as well as any period products that she might need for herself and Sarah, who had just started her period. The Lighthouse sewing project had also created some beautiful tote bags, so she chose one to take her products home in. This was something that Marie knew she would treasure – rarely was she able to obtain something for herself.
There was also one particular product in the bag that had stood out to Marie on the shelves – a skin cream. She’d never consider buying this for herself, but after using it for just a few days, she started to feel much happier. This, in turn, meant that her confidence started to return, and she felt able to start thinking about how she could improve her financial situation. There was light at the end of the tunnel.
Marie revisited THB Woking several times, and on each occasion, the team saw her smile getting a little bit broader and her self-esteem growing. They were delighted when they overheard her saying to a friend that she’d made: “I feel like me again.”
Today is World Health Day, an opportunity for everyone to reflect on how hygiene poverty can affect anyone, without any warning, and have consequences that are far-reaching. Hygiene poverty took its toll on Marie’s mental and physical health, and she is not alone. Our latest research report^ tells us that for 34% of adults living in hygiene poverty, there are negative consequences on their physical health, and 68% of people have reported an effect on their mental health.
Do you have any in date and unopened hygiene essentials that you don’t need? Your local THB project will gladly take them in and distribute to someone just like Marie. You’ll be helping someone feel like themselves again, and for that, we say thank you.
*Story is based on real case studies and names have been changed to preserve privacy
^The Hygiene Bank Research Report, 2024
