New home for Harborough Hygiene Bank after being given two weeks notice from former premises

Harborough’s hygiene bank has a new home after a school responded to its desperate plea for a premises.

The charity - which supports local people by providing free access to toiletries, cleaning materials and period products – was given two weeks’ notice on its previous premises and needed to find a new, long-term home.

Volunteers for Harborough Hygiene Bank were contacted by Market Harborough C of E Academy on Fairfield Road which offered a spare office to store its supplies.

Headteacher Emma Tayler said: “On hearing of the plight of our local hygiene bank, we wanted to help. Our school has always been at the heart of our community and we believe in helping others whenever we can. We had a spare office which we thought could work for the volunteers to store their donations in and happily it has all worked out.

“Our school is built on its values and we work hard to instil in our children that they are there to help others and be a hope for humanity. By offering a new home to the hygiene bank we hope our children will see these values in action and understand the importance of supporting your community.”

The Hygiene Bank is a national charity operating at local level, providing free access to products for families and individuals in need. Referrals are made through a third party and the service is confidential, meaning the volunteers and school will never know the people it helps.

A spokeswoman for the local branch said: “A big thank you to Market Harborough Church of England Academy who have kindly created space for us that will allow us to store products and package our donations to distribute amongst our community partners.”

The charity always needs donations of new, unused toiletries like soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes, sanitary products, shampoo, deodorants, hairbrushes and hairbands. It also takes donations of unopened cleaning products. They can be donated at various locations around the town including collection bins at Sainsbury’s, Boots and Nationwide.

Visit www.facebook.com/thbharborough for more information.