Search icon

Lifestyle

22nd Apr 2022

Mums ‘scraping poo from disposable nappies’ as they can’t afford new ones, charity claims

Kieran Galpin

Via UnSplash

Parents are in desperate need of essential toiletries

Crippled by the cost of living crisis, parents have been forced to scrape poo from disposable nappies to save on buying new ones, according to claims from one charity.

As just about every household bill skyrockets, Brits are forced to save money by any means. While some have offered advice on how to save on your Sky package, others have been lighting their homes with battery-powered fairy lights.

People are desperate – so desperate that charity Gloucestershire Bundles has seen a 30 per cent increase in referrals.

According to their website, the group works to support families struggling through a range of “crisis situations”. Their work involves providing emergency packs of clothes, toys, toiletries and nappies to desperate people who “struggle to buy essential hygiene products.”

Via UnSplash

“We are always in need of toiletries and nappies. People really struggle to buy essential hygiene products,” Gloucestershire Bundles founder Dawn Dolphin told Gloucestershire Live.

She explained: “I have heard from another Baby Bank how mums are scraping poo out of babies’ disposable nappies because they can not afford to buy more.

“I know we had one referral come in from a lady who was starting a new job and her benefits had stopped. She had budgeted until her first wage came through but her baby got poorly with a bad tummy and all the nappies were used up and she did not have the money to get more.”

She continued to say that many are in need of cots, toddler beds and strollers – but their supply is dwindling.

Via UnSplash

“We have to dip into our budget and go out and buy these items,” she explained. “More and more people are needing us but donations are not coming in as much because people are doing car boot sales to make some extra money to buy food or get gas and electric.”

With the dramatic increase in referrals, Dolphin said that people “need pretty much all we can offer.”

You can donate to Gloucestershire Bundles here.

Related links: