Wednesday, November 20 2024
Hygiene poverty 2024 christmas campaign
Nov 20th, 2024 (World Children’s Day):
This Christmas, The Multibank is joining forces with the entertainment industry and the sports community – broadcasters, leagues, clubs, talent, and fans, to address, and respond to, the rising issue of hygiene poverty amongst young people up-and-down the United Kingdom, guaranteeing that they can approach 2025 equipped with the tools, assurance, and confidence, they need to maximise opportunity and potential in school.Today, young people across the United Kingdom are disengaging from the school systems – embarrassed by, and anxious of the divide that has grown between them and their classmates. Not only does this stem from the vast attainment gap that presented itself after COVID-19 lockdowns, but from hygiene poverty as families are priced out of purchasing the daily essential items many of us take for granted, prioritising heating their homes, feeding, and clothing their children. From April’22 – January’24, energy and food prices rose 75% and 30% respectively.
It is believed that every week one million children arrive at school with dirty uniform. The Co-op Academy Trust has responded with the installation of washing machines in their group of 35 schools across the North, as have laundry brand smol with its ‘Suds in Schools’ campaign, installing mini laundrettes in over 100 schools across the UK. For 46% of households, washing detergent is considered a luxury item on the shopping list, rising from £4.50 to £6.37 (41.6%) in just 3-years. 42% of households are without deodorant. 400,000 without soap or toothpaste.
19% of parents polled by The Hygiene Bank, stated that their child(ren) had missed school in the past twelve months because of the shame they felt wearing unwashed clothes.
School absences are not only impacting education levels, but driving a divide in the classrooms, stunting children’s ability to engage socially, increasing isolation, and destabilising mental health.
Teachers recognise this isolation, and withdrawal, commenting that due to poor hygiene, children are “often left with no desk partner”, and are made fun of with “nasty comments”, designed to “single them out.”
School staff in the UK have spent approximately £40 million of their own money to support pupils experiencing hygiene poverty in the past year, purchasing soap, toiletries, and washing detergent, with many taking uniform home to wash on behalf of their pupils, as a means to counter divisiveness in their classrooms.
As loan sharks continue to circulate (currently, 1.5 million Brits are forced to borrow from these unscrupulous sources), and the fear of stigma prevents 48% of those in need from asking for help, the feeling of desperation exasperates - not only are children exposed to bullying and divisiveness in the classroom, but what should be a ‘safe haven’ at home is transformed into a shelter of anguish and despair, with 63% of parents’ mental health affected by the daily struggle of providing. In just 5-years, the prevalence of hardship-related mental health problems in young people has increased 50% - one of the main drivers of absenteeism from school. 58% of people facing hunger and hardship live in a working family.
But it’s not only families affected; it is estimated that £40.7M of NHS resource is allocated to an alarming rise in child tooth decay, with 119 extraction procedures taking place every day in England. Disturbingly, tooth decay is the most common reason for hospital admissions for children aged between 5 and 9-years-old. In Yorkshire alone, this equates to one-in-five primary aged children. 60,000 school days are lost each year due to this.
Not only are children expected to navigate academic learning through the excruciating pain that tooth decay presents, but they are expected to do it whilst suffering from altered eating and sleep patterns, with one million of those children facing the prospect of not having a bed to call their own. Speech and language development is diminished. Confidence is shockingly low.
At The Multibank, we believe that education is the most effective route out of poverty, IF our children can engage in it. That’s why for Christmas 2024, we are launching a campaign to raise awareness of, and respond to, the issue of hygiene poverty, through a programme of entertainment and sports activation, designed to drive donation of essential hygiene products. With 2-in-3 staff expecting the level of hygiene poverty to increase in their school in the coming year, and with key workers’ mental health being affected as they attempt to navigate the daily complexities that hygiene poverty presents, we endeavour to get soap, shampoo, shower gel, deodorant, toothpaste, and toothbrushes, in the hands of those most in need, ensuring that they start the day the right way, free of fear, anxiety, and judgement. At Christmas, that peace of mind, is the least a child deserves.
The campaign will see partnered football and rugby clubs facilitate matchday fan donation drives at their home stadium within December, encouraging all matchday fans to gift essential hygiene products on entry to the ground, in support of their local Multibank.
Demonstrating solidarity cross-sport, The Multibank announces Tottenham Hotspur, Harlequins, and Wigan Warriors as campaign partners.
Gifted products will support the build of essential hygiene packs, to be distributed via The Multibanks’ place-based network of charities, social workers, health professionals, and teachers, servicing surrounding boroughs and communities.
In addition to the sports clubs, Sky, Prime Video, TNT Sports, and TalkSport, have joined forces in an unprecedented show of solidarity, to leverage their national broadcast channels in support of The Multibank - story-telling and educating on The Multibank and the campaign, as well as signposting fans to upcoming matchday activations, pre-match, and during live broadcast.
The Multibank's new advertising awareness campaign produced and donated by Sky Creative, debuted on Sky-owned channels and on Digital Cinema Media from the start of November.
Starring the renowned Doctor Who actor Peter Capaldi, this two-part campaign highlights The Multibank's vital work, accompanied by original music from Emmy Award-winning composer Daniel Pemberton.
The Multibank is thrilled to announce the support of the Raheem Sterling Foundation. In a social clip housed on The Multibank’s Instagram channel, Sterling discusses instability in the classroom, and inability to engage fully academically due to external factors such as housing displacement. He talks to the intervention of mentor, Clive Ellington, and how that intervention changed the course of his journey for the better, utilising football as an avenue to process hardship-related emotion. Clive Ellington now sits as a Trustee for the Raheem Sterling Foundation.
England rugby union captain, Maro Itoje, discusses the impact of a mentor on his development into professional rugby in a social clip housed on The Multibank’s Instagram channel additionally.
He says, “He was actually the first person to tell me to give rugby a go. And, fortunately, I listened to him. It’s our duty as a society to look out for those who are coming behind us, and mentors play an instrumental role.”
With more than £2B worth of excess products estimated to be destroyed or wasted in the United Kingdom every year, and with some Local Authorities across Britain recording a 43.2% child poverty rate, it is time for us all, young and old, and for business, big and small, to step up and play a role in building a better tomorrow for our young people.
Quotes
“For many years, the Club has made donations to its local foodbanks ahead of Christmas in support of the most vulnerable within our community.
“We are therefore delighted to be supporting The Multibank in its Christmas campaign around the too often overlooked issue of hygiene poverty. We are certain that our football family will unite to ensure young people in our area are able to build their confidence from an early stage in life by having access to basic hygiene products.”Donna-Maria Cullen, Executive Director at Tottenham Hotspur
“The Harlequins Foundation is the embodiment of the Club’s belief to put our communities at the heart of everything we do. Given our dedication to working with young people living in the poorest areas to address the deprivation-related challenges they face; it was a no-brainer to be a part of this campaign to support those most in need in our Heartlands. We’re calling on Quins fans to give what they can when they come to the match on 14th December.”Andy Carpenter, Head of The Harlequins Foundation
“In support of the Multibank project, we remain dedicated to serving the communities of Wigan - the people we proudly represent. Hygiene poverty is a challenge that often goes unnoticed, but we’re determined to change that by raising awareness through our Night Under the Lights event. We’re confident that this initiative will inspire our fans to rally with us wholeheartedly. Together, we will continue to take on the challenges facing our town and make a lasting impact."Wigan Warriors Chief Executive Kris Radlinski