A Dunstable-based hygiene manufacturer has supplied millions of essential products to charities across the East of England, directing substantial support to organisations close to the town as demand for basic items remains high.
Scale of the donations and local reach
Essity, the company behind brands including Bodyform, Cushelle and TENA, provided items to 188 charitable organisations in the East of England during the first half of 2026 through its partnership with the distributor In Kind Direct. Of those charities, 49 were located within 10 miles of Essity’s Dunstable office, underscoring the immediate local benefit of the programme.
Across the UK between January and June the company distributed 3.3 million hygiene products to 2,780 charitable organisations. The supplies included more than 1.76 million Bodyform period pads — provision the company estimates is sufficient to help manage an estimated 88,005 periods — alongside 538,740 toilet rolls and 292,338 TENA products.
| Product | Quantity distributed (Jan–Jun 2026) |
|---|---|
| Bodyform period pads | 1,760,000+ |
| Toilet rolls | 538,740 |
| TENA products | 292,338 |
| Total products (UK) | 3,300,000 |
Addressing hygiene poverty
The donations are framed as a response to hygiene poverty — the situation in which households are unable to afford basic toiletry and sanitary items. Such shortages can force people to choose between essentials, with potential consequences for health, dignity and participation in education or work.
“Nobody should have to struggle to afford basic hygiene products, but charities are seeing people forced to make difficult choices about everyday essentials that many of us put in the shopping basket without a second thought,”
The quotation, from Gareth Lucy, communications director for the UK and North East Europe at Essity, accompanied the company’s announcement and set out the rationale for the programme. He added that the scale of donations in the first half of 2026 demonstrates the strength of the partnership with In Kind Direct and the practical support it provides to charities.
Practical support beyond product donations
Besides sending consumable products, Essity has undertaken in-kind support through the installation of free Tork washroom and hygiene dispensers. During the first half of 2026, dispensers were fitted at five charitable organisations, with a further nine installations scheduled before the end of the year.
The company has worked with In Kind Direct since 2002 and has committed to an ongoing annual contribution that includes 1.2 million Bodyform pads and one million toilet rolls, intended to help maintain a reliable supply of essentials for charities.
Local and national context
For Dunstable, the donations underline the role that local employers can play in responding to pressures faced by residents and voluntary groups. They also reflect broader national debates about the adequacy of welfare support and the role of the private sector in mitigating short-term hardship. As household budgets remain squeezed in many parts of the country, initiatives that replenish supplies at foodbanks, shelters and community centres can be critical.
- Local impact: 49 charities within 10 miles of Dunstable received support in H1 2026.
- National scale: 3.3 million products distributed to nearly 2,800 charities UK-wide.
- Ongoing commitment: Annual pledges to sustain supplies of pads and toilet rolls.
Michael Gidney, chief executive of In Kind Direct, commented on the partnership in the company announcement, highlighting the value of regular donations from corporate partners in maintaining charitable supplies. For Dunstable residents the visible effect will be felt through better-stocked local charities and, for some, improved access to essential hygiene products.
As councils and community groups in the East of England continue to contend with increasing demand for support, the contributions of employers headquartered in towns such as Dunstable represent one component of a wider safety net — albeit a private-sector one — aimed at preventing the most acute forms of deprivation.
