In Kind Direct, the UK’s leading product giving charity, and Tesco have partnered together since September 2022 to run their ‘Buy 2, we’ll donate 1’ campaign and this spring, ran the campaign for the sixth time.
Designed to unlock product donations from some of the leading hygiene brands, the partnership has supported families across the country gain access to over 6
This year, the campaign included products from seventeen leading hygiene brands, Pampers, Andrex, Kleenex, Tena, Bodyform, Simple, Aquafresh, Sensodyne, Domestos, Sure, Dove, Surf, Wilkinson-Sword, Persil, Corsodyl, Vaseline, and Comfort. Resulting in over 1.33 million personal care and household hygiene items being donated across
Across the 4-year partnership, Tesco and In Kind Direct have:
generated 6.3 million essential personal care and household hygiene items
- reached 5,320 charitable organisations across the UK, helping to support the families currently experiencing hygiene poverty across the UK.
- This includes 8,015,916 period pads; 1,229,939 deodorants; 742,726 toilet rolls; and 235,680 toothbrushes over the last five years.
- Hygiene products are helping restore confidence in many ways, from providing children with a toothbrush alongside oral care information, to ensuring parents can support their children’s needs without added stress.
Together, In Kind Direct and Tesco have facilitated wide-scale product donations from well-known brands making it one of the largest cross-sector product donation schemes of its kind.
With the number of brands taking part increasing annually, this partnership reinforces the need for cross-sector collaboration across the FMCG category to support families in need
By forging an alliance of
Michael Gidney, CEO of In Kind Direct comments: “We’re really proud of what we’ve been able to achieve over the last 4 years, as a result of our partnership with Tesco and many of the UK’s leading hygiene brands. Distributing more than 6m essential products to date is a huge achievement, but across the UK we hear from people in our network about what it means every day. It’s the dignity offered to the woman who had been using socks in place of period products; the excitement on the six-year-old boy’s face who had his own toothbrush for the first time; the way homeless service users describe how it feels to access personal care products. And the impact won’t stop there. We are seeing more and more brands willing to come together to help end hygiene poverty – a cause that is much bigger than all of us.
No single charity or brand can solve this alone. It required true cross-collaboration from charities, retailers and brands who are committed to making a difference in people’s lives.”
Tommy Maier, category buying manager – beauty & personal care at Tesco, said: “We’re proud of the impact that this campaign has had helping millions of families across the UK access hygiene products. We would like to thank all our customers, colleagues and the brands that supported this worthwhile cause and helped make a real difference to those in need.”
A volunteer at Darnall Community Nursery, based in Sheffield, whose charity accesses products through In Kind Direct’s network, commented: “
A volunteer at Beyond Limits, based in County Durham, commented: “Shaving products are included in care packs for gentlemen on low incomes. Many of the recipients have told us how long it had been since they had proper shaving products, and how it helped them feel clean, confident, and more themselves again – particularly when preparing for special occasions.”
Branchton Community Centre, based in Scotland, commented: “Providing a struggling family with essentials like free toilet roll and laundry detergent may seem small, but it can have a powerful impact. These basic items relieve immediate financial pressure, restore a sense of dignity, and help families maintain hygiene and comfort during difficult times. By removing the stress of choosing between necessities, this simple act of support can free up limited resources for food, utilities, or school needs and to remind people that they’re not alone, strengthening both wellbeing and community connections.”
A staff member at Teth Youth & Adult Services, based in London, commented: “By having access to items such as diapers, wipes, and other baby necessities, we were able to relieve some of that pressure. One mother shared that the essentials she received meant she could redirect the little money she had toward healthy food for her family, while still feeling confident her baby’s needs were met.”
