As part of our brand new charity campaign Metro.co.uk Lifeline we’re organising a sponsored trek, taking on the London 10 Peak challenge, to help raise vital funds in support of The Hygiene Bank.
This week, we’ll be sharing the stories of some of our trekkers to find out why they’re taking part and how they’re feeling with less than a month to go.
‘I’m passionate about helping mums who are living in poverty and trying to look after their kids’
Gina Morgan, 34, Leicester
I’ve been volunteering for the Hygiene Bank for just over a month but it’s already opened my eyes to hygiene poverty.
I help run the Leicester branch, and I loved it as soon as I started. I recently sourced toiletries for a local prison, getting newly released inmates set up with essentials – you just don’t even realise things like that are an issue. Lockdown has affected the way we distribute products so I’m currently assessing the various opportunities where we can help.
I’ve also got a two-year-old and I’m passionate about helping mums who are living in poverty and trying to look after their kids. I’ve been out and about and run out of nappies and it is just the worst feeling.
I also know how hard it is to be a mum full stop, and how much guilt you feel all the time – it must be so much more difficult if you can’t afford nappies or wipes, or other essentials.
Hygiene poverty shouldn’t be something we are even having to talk about. I want to do the 10 peaks trek to raise awareness of how bad the situation is, and how much we can easily do to help people around us. We all have so many products in our bathrooms that we don’t use and that could be donated instead.
I’m excited but nervous about the walk itself. I did something similar about 10 years ago – it was painful towards the end, and the blisters were bad, but during lockdown I’ve just worked and been a mum. I want to do something different, and this will be a really good challenge for me.
‘I’ll be a mess by the end of it – but I’ll be a mess that can make a small difference‘
David Allen, 32, Hackney
I think it’s fair to say 2020 has been a lazy year – I’ve barely left the house (until the bars reopened), and lockdown has meant two things: weight gain and cancelled plans.
When I read about the Metro.co.uk Lifeline Challenge earlier this year, I thought: ‘I can do that. I need to do that.’ Not only was this something that was definitely going ahead, but it didn’t rely on sitting at home drinking too much wine!
It’s just what I needed to kick-start a fitness regime. In recent years I’ve run a marathon, which left me aching all over and questioning every life decision I’ve ever made. But I’ve also completed some 50km charity walks, and they were a great way to meet new people with a common interest in doing something for others.
Coronavirus has given me an increasing realisation of how lucky I am – I had job security when a lot of people were struggling, and the Hygiene Bank’s cause really struck a chord.
I used to steal my dad’s razor blades to shave and it wasn’t until I arrived in London, as a young 20-something on a budget, and had to buy them myself that I had any idea how much they cost. They were the first thing to go (I’ve had a beard ever since).
No one should have to choose between food on the table and hygiene products – everyone has a fundamental right to both. Being clean should not be a luxury.
With less than a month to go until the walk, I’ll be honest and say I’m slightly worried about it! I bought a bicycle and made a vow to not take public transport anymore, but 26 miles of walking, when we’ve had temperatures of over 20 degrees for a month?
I’ll be a mess by the end of it – but I’ll be a mess that can make a small difference to the lives of those that need help.
I’m also looking forward to making new friends along the way – because there’s no way in hell I can spend the entire day walking without talking, and moaning, and asking how far away that pub at the end is.
‘I’ve experienced hygiene poverty – it’s the worst feeling in the world’
Brenda Lund, 48, Leicestershire
I know what it’s like to go without hygiene essentials when you desperately need them.
Several years ago, I was in a relationship with a man who drained all our household finances, including my own. When I found out I had run out of sanitary products one day, I had no choice but to go to him. I have a hereditary blood disorder that makes my periods really heavy, so for me to be without tampons and towels was quite rare.
I asked him for money – and he said no. The next day, I had to go to work padded up with toilet roll and all sorts. It was the worst feeling in the world; I had never felt so degraded.
I ended up telling my manager and from that day on, she ensured there would always be products available for me.
I have since gone into managerial roles myself and my staff know I will always provide what they need, whether it’s a towel, tampon or incontinence pad. They don’t even have to ask.
It must be awful not to have access to basic things like a bar of soap or shampoo. I believe everybody should be able to have a basic level of cleanliness; in this day and age we shouldn’t need charities like the Hygiene Bank – but they do cracking work. When I saw that the Lifeline Challenge was raising funds for them, I thought: I want to do that.
It helps that I’ve done ultra-walking challenges before, where you keep going for over 24 hours, though I have been out of them for a couple of years now. The 10 peaks hike is about a quarter of what I would usually do so it seemed like a good way to get back into it.
That’s my ‘selfish’ reason for taking part. I want to do what I can to help – I don’t want anyone to ever have to feel like I did.
If you would like to make a donation to the Metro.co.uk Lifeline campaign in support of The Hygiene Bank, please click here.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing platform@metro.co.uk
Share your views in the comments below.
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Metro.co.uk Lifeline
This year sees the launch of our exciting new charity campaign: Metro.co.uk Lifeline. Our aim is simple - to raise as much money as possible for charity with YOUR help.
We have chosen to support The Hygiene Bank, a vital charity that helps distribute hygiene products for those most in need.
For more information about this year's hike, which is organised by Charity Challenge and taking place on Saturday 19 September, 2020, click here.
source https://metro.co.uk/2020/08/25/meet-trekkers-taking-london-10-peaks-challenge-13169353/
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