Donation by L&Q partner helps tackle hygiene poverty
L&Q’s Major Works Investment Programme partner Wates Group has helped to secure a £250 donation to help tackle hygiene poverty in Medway.
A group of volunteers from The Hygiene Bank and representatives from Wates posing with a large donation cheque for £250
The funding Wates gained from its sub-supplier Energy Specifics Ltd, has been donated to The Hygiene Bank – Medway. The charity distributes about 800kgs of products a month to people in desperate need of hygiene essentials.
Hygiene poverty is not being able to afford many of the everyday hygiene and personal grooming products most people take for granted, like shampoo, laundry detergent, tampons, nappies or toothpaste.
Hygiene poverty affects 4.2 million adults in the UK. Since 2022, the cost of living and inflation crises have pushed an additional 1.1m people into hygiene poverty - the equivalent of the population of Birmingham.
Three people holding a large donation cheque from Wates for £250, made out to The Hygiene Bank
Emma Thomas, founder of The Hygiene Bank – Medway, said:
“A big thank you to Tim Freeman, from Energy Specifics, for its generous donation of £250 to support our work at The Hygiene Bank. We were also pleased to welcome Sunder Narashiman, L&Q Communities Team Lead, who was able to join us for the presentation as part of the Wates initiative. We’re incredibly grateful for their support.
“Hygiene poverty is an ongoing challenge, and this donation will help us provide essential hygiene products to those who need them most. Your contribution truly makes a difference and creates a lasting impact on our community.”
Christina Byrne, Regional Social Value Manager at Wates Group, said:
“Everyone knows how vitally important the work of foodbanks to communities, but it’s less well known that, with such rising costs, many people often find it hard to buy hygiene products that a lot of us take for granted. It was a pleasure to help secure the donation from Energy Specifics Ltd and support the wider community where L&Q’s residents live.”
Mark Newstead, Director of Major Programmes at L&Q, said:
“Our investment in our residents’ homes is not just about bricks and mortar but also improving their lives and those in the communities we serve.
“That’s why it is wonderful that Wates has secured this donation for such a worthwhile cause. This means that the people The Hygiene Bank - Medway supports who have found themselves in financial difficulty won’t have to make decisions between heating, eating, or keeping themselves and their clothing clean. This will also play such an important part in supporting their mental health and wellbeing.”
L&Q has 989 homes in Medway and has also developed several properties for shared ownership and first-time buyer new builds.
Wates Group is one of ten partners working with us on our Major Works Investment Programme. This will see us invest around £3bn over 15 years to improve the safety, comfort, and environmental performance of residents’ homes. Beyond improving homes, the partnership includes social value commitments to create a lasting impact in the communities where we operate.