Boots is donating 175,000 toothbrushes and toothpastes to The Hygiene Bank as part of their urgent appeal for dental product donations to support children as they head back to school.
The launch will see Boots donate an additional full-sized product for every kilogram donated to The Hygiene Bank. TV personality Josie Gibson has partnered with Boots to encourage the public to donate toothbrushes and toothpaste via donation points in its stores.
The donations will be distributed by The Hygiene Bank to schools and projects that support young people in the UK throughout September. Boots has also launched a range of educational resources for oral health on the Boots Health Hub.
According to figures from The Hygiene Bank, over 4.2 million people in the UK are living in hygiene poverty, which means they cannot afford many of the everyday hygiene and personal grooming products most of us take for granted.
The study shows a direct link between hygiene poverty and children’s oral health, with nearly a third (29%) of parents experiencing hygiene poverty reporting changes in the quality of dental care products for their children due to financial constraints in the last year. One in four (23%) parents say their children’s oral health has worsened and one in five (19%) say their children have missed school due to oral hygiene issues. Poor oral hygiene can lead to more serious dental health problems, with tooth decay being one of the leading reasons for hospital admissions in children today.
Josie Gibson said: “It’s heartbreaking to see that there are kids out there that are going without basic dental products and the impact this is having on their health and education. I’m proud to support Boots and The Hygiene Bank to help ensure that every child has access to the dental care they need, and I strongly encourage everyone that can to donate un-opened dental essential products at their local Boots store so that every child can go back to school with a healthy smile.”
Anthony Hemmerdinger, Retail Director at Boots said:“Our founder Jesse Boot believed that everyone should have access to soap and a sponge, and we remain committed to supporting everyone’s right to basic hygiene essentials in our 175th anniversary year. As well as donating 175,000 dental products ourselves, we encourage our customers to get involved by contributing products at one of the 500 Hygiene Bank donation points in Boots stores across the country.”
Ruth Brock, CEO of The Hygiene Bank said: “Hygiene poverty can have a devastating impact on children’s oral health, impacting their well-being, confidence, school attendance, and long-term health. We urgently need more toothpastes and toothbrushes to distribute to schools and projects that support young people in the UK. The donation from Boots is an incredible help, but with further donations from the public we can help even more children get access to the products they need to keep their teeth healthy.”
Looking at hygiene poverty more broadly, The Hygiene Bank has found that two in three (65%) parents experiencing hygiene poverty are forced to choose between purchasing hygiene products for themselves or their children. Over two-thirds (68%) of those living without basic toiletries feel ashamed and nearly three in four (73%) feel embarrassed.
The campaign from Boots and The Hygiene Bank, called Brush with Boots, is supported by Colgate. To find out which Boots stores have The Hygiene Bank donation points, visit boots.com.
