Last updated on November 12th, 2025 at 02:12 pm
THB Guildford is now six years old, making it one of The Hygiene Bank’s longest-running projects. There are people of all ages and circumstances in the area who have been pulled into hygiene poverty, but young families make up a high proportion of the people benefiting from the team’s help.
“Generally, there is at least one person in the family in work, but the living costs are so high in this area that they just cannot make their budget meet their needs every month.” Janice, THB Guildford
The Hygiene Bank (THB) Guildford is a busy project, supporting 21 Community Partners through nine collection points, as well as through donations from corporate partners who support The Hygiene Bank, such as Boots and smol.
One of these Community Partners is FEDCAP, who support people to get back into work. They also look at the wider picture of getting job-ready, which can include providing hygiene products to help individuals feel fresh and confident. This makes their partnership with THB Guildford so important, especially as the cost of living in the area is so high.
“Having access to hygiene essentials means that our clients have one less thing to worry about” Ruby, FEDCAP Manager
Many of the people that FEDCAP work with are struggling to make ends meet and often describe their shock and happiness to receive such good-quality products. There is an especially high demand for deodorant and period products, items which are considered basic hygiene essentials but can also be expensive.
For FEDCAP, being able to provide clients with high-quality products is extremely important. They see the difference from when someone first crosses their threshold to them feeling confident and fresh, which can sometimes be the difference between gaining employment or not.
Janice, the Project Co-ordinator at THB Guildford is pleased to work with FEDCAP and help local people get back on their feet after a period of difficulty. The concept of collecting products locally and distributing them within the community was very attractive to Janice, who joined THB Guildford after working in an education environment and seeing first-hand the students who needed support with basic hygiene essentials.
The 21 Community Partners that THB Guildford work with are incredibly grateful for the work Janice and her team are doing. Between THB Guildford and a network of local professionals including home school link workers, social workers, refugee supporters and youth workers they are contributing to easing the daily burden of families doing their best to manage during a period of hygiene poverty.
THB Guildford recently organised a networking meeting that brought together people who host collection points – schools, colleges, family centres, churches, storage providers and brand contributors. The feedback gained from this event was very positive and much inspiration was gained from meeting people who represent another part of the process.
THB Guildford has grown over the last six years, but Janice was keen to share that they started small with only a couple of Community Partners and collection points. She also recommended that potential project co-ordinators visit other local projects as well as thinking ahead about funding and storage space. Her key message is that it is important to be realistic about how much time can be offered and the strengths and skills on offer to make the most of your volunteering time.
Thank you Janice and the team at THB Guildford for all your amazing work!
If you’ve been inspired to donate products to support a project such as THB Guildford, you can find your local drop off point here. You can also register your interest in volunteering here.
