Foodbank soap appeal after stocks run out

Lesley Dixon (left) and Gill Fourie (right) said the foodbank had never run out of soap before

A foodbank has appealed for people to donate soap and toiletries after it ran out for the first time.

Blackburn foodbank said the donations were "vital to help people get back on their feet" and "give them back their dignity".

Gill Fourie, its operations manager, said it was important people remembered foodbanks did not just provide food.

"We know that food isn't actually the issue here, the root cause is that people do not have enough money to live on," she said.

The foodbank provides about 70 parcels a day, and in January it fed about 1,600 people in Blackburn with Darwen.

Mrs Fourie said the last time donations kept up with demand was "before the coronavirus pandemic".

She said shampoo, soap and toothpaste were "always needed".

Blackburn Foodbank supported 1,600 people in Blackburn with Darwen in January

"There is nothing worse than feeling a bit grotty and horrible. Actually making yourself clean does a lot for mental health, so we do try and provide the basic toiletries.

"We do not need a fancy body wash, we do not need luxury brands, we just need something to keep people clean," she added.

Lesley Dixon, who started volunteering at the foodbank in August 2023, said she had been surprised by the mix of people using it.

The former BAE worker added: "I thought it would be a handful of people, but it is constant - people who are on their own, young adults, single mums, people who are on pensions who never ever thought they would have to use a foodbank.

"It is heart-breaking to see people who have worked all their life find themselves in this situation."

Mrs Dixon added it "is not quality, it is quantity that we are looking for… your basic food and essential items".

A government spokesperson said it had boosted pension credit for vulnerable pensioners and was making more than 11.9 million cost of living payments "to help with essential costs this winter".

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