The Junction Multibank in Middlesbrough extends its campaign to combat child hygiene poverty in 2025

Children returning to school this week “more comfortable in their own skin” says former PM Gordon Brown because of The Multibank Christmas hygiene product donations at local sports fixtures

Amazon to boost The Junction Multibank’s hygiene poverty campaign with You Buy. We Donate working with suppliers of popular household brands to help more families experiencing poverty get essential products

The Junction Multibank in Middlesbrough is to ramp up its campaign against childhood hygiene poverty in 2025 as the impact of its Christmas donation drive improves the return to school for many children across the UK.

Working with local sports clubs including Middlesbrough F.C, Sunderland AFC, and Newcastle Falcons, The Junction Multibank collected thousands of hygiene products donated by fans at fixtures over the Christmas & New Year period.

The Multibank Sporting Fixtures campaign included a special appeal for deodorant, shower gels, soap and other hygiene products as The Multibank responded to teachers’ concerns that children, especially teens, are socially isolating - including from school -  because they believe they smell or fear being told they smell.

In total, fans donated 85k individual hygiene items at sporting fixtures across England last month which  are already in action supporting children and families as the new term starts.

According to a recent survey for The Hygiene Bank, teachers are spending £40 million out of their own pockets to combat the effects of hygiene poverty in the classroom as 1 in 4 children (28%) are reported to be regularly missing school because they or their clothes or kit are not clean.

The Multibank founder, former PM Gordon Brown says, “We must do much more,” to support children who need hygiene products and welcomes the seasonal donation drive by fans as “an inspiration, enabling more children to feel “more comfortable in their own skin” as they return to school this week and that will help them to be “better able to engage at school.”

The Junction Multibank’s continuing campaign against childhood hygiene poverty receives a significant boost as Amazon launches its You Buy. We Donate campaign which it hopes will bring at least 250,000 further hygiene products to The Multibank network by the end of January.

Spearheading a new collaboration between its customers and suppliers of well-known household brands Unilever, L’Oréal, Colgate-Palmolive, Beiersdorf, Mayborn, and Amazon own-brand, by Amazon, the campaign will bring extra support for families in need.

You Buy. We Donate will run on Amazon from until 28 January and for every two purchases on Amazon.co.uk from a selection of over 800 personal hygiene, household and baby products, Amazon and its suppliers will donate a third item to be shared across the network of Multibanks across the UK.

The Multibank stocks every type of household item, made up from surplus, returns and gifted products and via its carefully curated network of charities and care professionals, gifts on the products to people who need them.

Former UK Prime Minister Rt Hon Gordon Brown, said: “Thanks to the generosity and compassion of so many sports fans, many children are returning to school this week feeling a lot more comfortable in their own skin and more confident to take their place in the classroom because they have soap, shampoo, toothpaste and deodorant and their families have the products they need to keep them and their clothes clean.

“Last month’s Multibank inspirational donation drive by sports fans means, this month children will be able to go to and stay engaged at school - and socially - simply because they feel and smell clean. We can do much more to support them in 2025.”

“I’m delighted Amazon, whose surplus stocks are already a mainstay of Multibank goods, are launching a multi-business collaboration amongst hygiene companies to increase the amount of hygiene goods supplied to our Multibanks. I thank all the companies involved.”

“We know The Multibanks are making a real difference keeping hard-pressed families facing the future with some hope of better days ahead. We must now keep innovating how we do charitable work in our communities because too many children need the help right now and teachers tell us that keeping kids clean and smelling fresh is for them a priority issue.”

Beth Major, CEO of The Junction Multibank in Middlesbrough, said: “Too many teenagers are having a tough time, unable to socialise or even go to school, because they don’t have sanitary products or essentials such as deodorant. Many spend any income they earn in part time Saturday jobs, on their younger siblings, or even on their parent’s household bills. The Multibank Sports Fixtures Campaign has meant we have got thousands of items out to families where they will make a difference and help get kids back into to school this term with more confidence.  And we are grateful to Amazon and its suppliers for extending their commitment to unlock even more essential products which will provide life-changing support to the most vulnerable in our communities.”

John Boumphrey, Amazon UK Country Manager, said: “We are incredibly proud to have supported the foundation of The Junction Multibank. It has been inspiring to see sports fans donating to the recent hygiene poverty campaign and helping those most in need in our communities. We want to continue that goodwill and by working together with our suppliers and our customers, we hope to generate hundreds of thousands more donations and alleviate the consequences of hygiene poverty.”

Chris Barron, General Manager for Personal Care UK&I at Unilever, said: “The support that The Multibank provides is so important, helping households that are facing hygiene poverty to access the daily products that help people to feel clean and confident. We know that together we can do more, so we’re really pleased to be partnering with Amazon with a shared commitment to get more products to the charities and people that need them most.”

Brands participating in You Buy. We Donate  the donation campaign are Amazon brands by Amazon, and Mama Bear, as well as, Dove, Elvive, Colgate, Garnier, L’Oréal Paris, Lynx, Men Expert, Nivea, Palmolive, Radox, Revitalift, Sanex, SheaMoisture, Simple, Sure, Tommee, Tippee TRESemme, and Vaseline. Transport logistics company.

Transport logistics specialists, Palletline is providing logistics support for the campaign free of charge, handling the storage and onward distribution of all donations to The Multibank’s network of regional hubs.