Nov 20th, 2024 (World Children’s Day): The Multibank UK and Brick Multibank announces 2024 Betfred Super League champions Wigan Warriors as the first rugby league club partner of the 2024 Christmas Campaign.
A campaign designed to raise awareness, and respond to the rising issues of hygiene poverty amongst young people up-and-down the United Kingdom, guaranteeing that they can approach 2025 equipped with the tools, assurance, and confidence, they need to maximise opportunity and potential in the classroom.
For 46% of households, washing detergent is considered a luxury item on the shopping list, rising in cost at a rate of 41.6% in just 3-years. 42% of households are without deodorant. 400,000 are without soap or toothpaste. And with school staff recognising the isolation, withdrawal and bullying that is developing as a result, they are spending approximately £40 million of their own money to support pupils, purchasing soap, toiletries, and detergent as a means to counter divisiveness in the classroom.
With 2-in-3 staff expecting the level of hygiene poverty to increase in their school in the coming year, and with key workers’ mental health affected as they attempt to navigate the daily complexities that hygiene poverty presents, The Multibank has designed it’s 2024 campaign to get soap, shampoo, shower gel, deodorant, toothpaste, and toothbrushes in the hands of our neediest, ensuring that our young people start the day the right way, fear of fear, anxiety, and judgement.
At Christmas, that peace of mind, is the least a child deserves.
December 10th will see Warriors host their annual ‘Night Under the Lights’ event at ‘Robin Park Arena’, in support of The Brick Multibank, Wigan, encouraging all in attendance to gift essential hygiene products on entry to the event.
Partnering with The Brick Multibank enables the Wigan community to play an active role in getting essential hygiene items into the hands of those neediest across the Greater Manchester region this winter period, ensuring that all children can start the day the right way, free of fear, anxiety, and judgement.
Gifted products will support the build of essential hygiene packs, to be distributed via The Brick Multibank’s place-based network of charities, social workers, teachers, and healthcare professionals. These items include soap, shampoo, shower gel, deodorant, toothpaste, and toothbrushes, unopened and within date. They can be gifted at manned Multibank donation banks positioned within the arena.
Wigan Warriors and The Brick have a long and established relationship that goes back many years. The Brick is the club’s chosen charity partner of 2024 and there have been a number of initiatives from renaming the town’s stadium, The Brick Community Stadium to raising funds and awareness of the health and economic inequalities in the borough and wider region. Several of the players volunteered to help set up The Brick Multibank warehouse in 2022 and one of the very first donation drives was in partnership with Warriors.
Yesterday, Tuesday 19th November, a handful of Warriors squad players volunteered down at The Brick Multibank, supporting Multibank volunteers with daily operational tasks.
“In support of the Multibank project, we remain dedicated to serving the communities of Wigan – the people we proudly represent. Hygiene poverty is a challenge that often goes unnoticed, but we’re determined to change that by raising awareness through our Night Under the Lights event. We’re confident that this initiative will inspire our fans to rally with us wholeheartedly. Together, we will continue to take on the challenges facing our town and make a lasting impact.” – Wigan Warriors Chief Executive Kris Radlinski.
‘’We are grateful for Wigan Warriors commitment to making a positive impact on lives of the most vulnerable. It is a privilege that they continue their support with our largest anti-poverty initiative to date; by ensuring that every family has the access to the hygiene products they need this Christmas.” – The Brick Multibank CEO Keely Dalfen.
