A moving and harrowing film that exposes the harsh realities of those in our society who fall through the cracks. It portrays a place in which empathy has little place and no allowance is made for the chaos of everyday life.
Having watched the file, one particular scene stuck in the mind of our founder Lizzy Hall. Katie, a single mother of two (played by actress Hayley Squires) is caught shoplifting and in her bag they find a pack of period pads, razors and a bottle of deodorant.
Lizzy Hall MBE
Items that she could not afford to buy or were available from the food bank she visited. Hygiene poverty is humiliating and so galvanised to do something, Lizzy put out a plea to friends and family for hygiene and personal care products. Donations flooded in - the reaction was overwhelming and Lizzy soon realised she had tapped into people’s desire to help. Within a few short weeks, The Hygiene Bank was born.
Buying basics like period products, shampoo, toothpaste or deodorant is something most of us take for granted. For many on a low income, especially those who rely on food banks, these essential products have become out of reach luxuries.
Illness, disability, family breakdown or loss of a job can leave people destitute. These unplanned events can happen to anyone.
We all make financial choices, but for those living in poverty these choices can be extremely stark. Parents are increasingly prioritising feeding their family over buying hygiene products while teens prefer to go hungry to save themselves the humiliation of showing up at college with unwashed hair or with body odour.
