Featherstone High Benefits from Hygiene Poverty Initiative
Students and families in need receive essential products
CEO of The Hygiene Bank, Ruth Brock and Helium Capital Founder, Shamir Dawood at Featherstone High School in Southall. Picture: Peter van den Berg
May 14, 2026
A new three-year initiative to tackle hygiene poverty in Ealing schools has made its first delivery, with Featherstone High School in Southall receiving essential products for students and families in need.
The project, a partnership between Ealing-based investment firm Helium Capital and national charity The Hygiene Bank, aims to remove hygiene-related barriers to school attendance, wellbeing and long-term opportunities for young people. It is the first scheme of its kind in the borough.
Last Friday, Helium Capital founder Shamir Dawood, a long-standing Ealing resident and newly appointed ambassador for The Hygiene Bank, joined the charity’s CEO Ruth Brock at Featherstone High School to distribute items including period products, shampoo and other hygiene essentials. The school is one of three already signed up to the pilot, with more expected to join in the coming months.
Dawood said the need in Ealing reflects a wider national challenge.
“I can’t imagine a world where young people have their dignity compromised by a lack of access to basic hygiene products and where potential is lost to easily solvable problems. We’re excited to be moving forward with this project that offers immediate support for an immediate need.”
Research published in 2025 by The Hygiene Bank and smol found that nearly three million UK schoolchildren experienced hygiene poverty in the previous year. Teachers estimated that affected pupils miss more than a week of school annually as a direct result — the equivalent of 23 million lost learning days.
The visit to Featherstone High School gave partners the chance to meet staff and student leaders Deiwin Kanit and Shinepreet Kaur, who spoke about the impact the products will have and the challenges faced by families in the community. Ongoing feedback from participating schools, alongside survey data, will help track the project’s outcomes over time.
Ruth Brock, CEO of The Hygiene Bank, said the consequences of hygiene poverty are far-reaching. She added, “The scale of hygiene poverty faced by families across the UK is shocking and the impact this has on individual lives is profound. Bullying, shame and school absence often follow hygiene poverty. We’re delighted to be working with Helium Capital and schools in Ealing to begin to tackle the problem together.”
The project, titled “Breaking the Cycle: Hygiene Access, School Engagement and Future Economic Participation”, has already expanded to include John Perryn Primary School in Acton, with further schools expected to join. The aim is to provide both immediate relief and long-term improvements in attendance, confidence and educational engagement.
Local residents can support The Hygiene Bank’s work by donating products at collection points in Boots stores across Ealing or by finding their nearest drop-off location on the charity’s website.
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