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Over 130 of the best-known names in cleaning and FM came together at London’s iconic Shakespeare Globe Theatre this week to raise a record-breaking £22,000 in cash and a further £10,000 in product donations to help The Hygiene Bank charity in its work to alleviate hygiene poverty.
According to research report ‘Hygiene Poverty 2022’ which was published by YouGov in October last year and commissioned by The Hygiene Bank, over 3.1 million UK adults are living in hygiene poverty. The findings revealed that when budgets are tight, hygiene products such as toothpaste, shampoo and laundry detergent are the first to be cut.
Event organiser and CEO of Cleanology, Dominic Ponniah, said: “We have been overwhelmed by the generosity and support of our industry this year. Now in its third year, this event has grown from strength to strength every year and this year we have been oversubscribed once again. It’s testimony to how the FM industry has rallied together for a cause as significant as hygiene poverty, and with the cost of living crisis only getting worse, there has never been a more important time to support the work of the Hygiene Bank. We are hugely grateful to everyone who got involved this year.”
The event – held on 3 October in The Balcony Room at the Globe Theatre – was sponsored by six of the biggest names in the industry – Bridge Recruitment, Darwin Clayton, Futures Supplies, Liberty Hygiene, Evans Vanodine plc and The Cheeky Panda. The evening saw competitive bidding for auction and raffle prizes such as Tea at The Ritz, a Banksy print, dinner for six at trendy eatery Dishoom, a Chanel brooch, Spurs match tickets and a Fortnum & Mason luxury hamper.
Ruth Brock, CEO of The Hygiene Bank, said: “The Hygiene Bank is deeply grateful to Dominic Ponniah and Cleanology and all the sponsors of this event for their fantastic generosity. Hygiene poverty is widespread, growing and disproportionately affects the most vulnerable. Millions of people are struggling with its impact – the stigma, embarrassment, damage to mental and physical health it brings. It’s a hidden poverty that blights life chances and limits opportunity – so it’s critical that more companies and more individuals follow in Cleanology’s footsteps to join us as we work together to end hygiene poverty for good. Cleanology’s generosity and support will make a meaningful difference today and takes us a crucial step forward on that journey.”
In September 2021, Cleanology held its first charity event which raised over £14,000 for The Hygiene Bank, a national charity that alleviates poverty by providing hygiene products to those in need.
Due to the enormous success of that event, the wide publicity generated, and the amount of money raised through the raffle and auction, an even bigger event was held at The Ivy in London in September 2022, raising over £20,000.
