SAINTS will facilitate a donation drive at St Mary's when they host West Ham on Boxing Day, encouraging fans to gift essential hygiene products upon entry.

Southampton Football Club and Saints Foundation have become "proud" partners of the Multibank UK 2024 Christmas Campaign.

The campaign is designed to raise awareness and respond to the rising issues of hygiene poverty amongst young people across the United Kingdom.

Multibank want to guarantee that they can approach 2025 equipped with the tools and confidence they need to maximise opportunity and potential in the classroom.

They claim that 46 per cent of households consider washing detergent a luxury item on the shopping list, having risen 41.6 per cent in cost in three years.

A further 42 per cent of households are without deodorant and 400,000 households are without soap or toothpaste.

School staff spend approximately £40 million of their own money to support pupils, purchasing soap, toiletries, and detergent to counter bullying in the classroom.

The Multibank has designed its 2024 campaign to get soap, shampoo, shower gel, deodorant, toothpaste, and toothbrushes in the hands of the neediest.

Sam Fulling, chief operations officer for Saints Foundation, said: “We’re proud to be teaming up with the Multibank and our local partners in The Big Difference.

"We want to tackle hygiene poverty, rallying Saints fans to lend a hand by gifting essential products to those most in need. We work across the most deprived areas of the city and with the people who face inequality the most.

Christmas is a time for giving. We hope that our fans will get behind this important initiative to ensure that everyone in our local community goes without the necessities - because every small act of support makes a big difference."

Gifted products will support the build of essential hygiene packs, to be distributed via The Big Difference, a local food bank distribution centre which serves over 100 communities and schools across Southampton. They work with over 60 major food donors, and this continues to grow.

These items include soap, shampoo, shower gel, tampons, sanitary pads, deodorant (roll-on only), toothpaste, and toothbrushes, unopened and within date. They can be gifted at manned Multibank donation banks positioned around the stadium before kick-off.

Dr Sanjay Mall, chief executive for The Big Difference, added: “It is a real privilege to partner with Southampton Football Club and The Multibank to help those struggling families and I urge those in our city to really help those in need. 

"Whilst our primary focus at The Big Difference is to serve the people in Southampton and families suffering with food insecurity, we also help those in need of hygiene products and clothes. Feeding communities and uniting hearts is what we are all about.”

For those not in attendance but keen to support the activation, donations can be pledged to The Big Difference in Southampton by visiting their website.