Tesco joins the team to tackle hygiene poverty

Swindon Tesco staff store are helping to distribute hundreds of personal care and household items to people who are facing hygiene poverty.

The Tesco Extra store at Ocotal Way has joined forces with charity In KindDirect and suppliers Unilever, Kimberley Clark, Essity and Haleon, which supply well-known household brands such as Radox, Persil, Andrex, Bodyform, and Sensodyne.

Until 3 October, for every two purchases by Tesco customers from a selection of essential hygiene products, a third product will be donated directly to charity.

The partnership is billed as the first of its kind, bringing together manufacturers across different categories and a charity partner, to donate these essential products to communities.

All products will be distributed by In Kind Direct, which works with thousands of charitable organisations, including community groups, foodbanks and schools. 

Rosanne Gray, CEO at In Kind Direct, said: “Making tough choices every day between food, life essentials and rent is the reality for far too many people. We are delighted that the leadership of Tesco and Unilever has catalysed a partnership, and we look forward to welcoming new partners so that together we can make a difference in communities.”

Research by In Kind Direct, commissioned from YouGov earlier this year, found that 19 percent of adults in the south of England said they or someone in their household have gone without hygiene products such as shampoo or deodorant in the last sixmonths, including nine percent who skipped buying toothbrushes or toothpaste.

Claire De Silva, Head of Community at Tesco, said: “It’s really important to us that we are able to support even more people in our communities to get the essential items, and this partnership enables us to help when it’s needed. It is incredibly important to challenge the stigma of hygiene poverty, as it affects over 9 million people in the UK.”