Denny salon sets up hygiene items collection service to support food bank

No.4 Salon and Training Academy in Denny is gathering essential products including shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, soaps, toothpaste, toothbrushes and face wipes in aid of the St Vincent De Paul Food Bank.

Owner Marie Toner has set up a basket inside her Broad Street premises and is asking clients to donate items to ensure struggling families don’t have to choose between feeding or cleaning themselves.

Her idea stemmed from an initiative Marie discovered when she worked at New College Lanarkshire’s Motherwell campus.

She explained: “They used to work with Beauty Banks but it doesn’t come out to the Denny area.

“I’d been speaking to one of the woman who runs the food bank and she said it sounded brilliant because they can’t get enough toiletries.

“My daughter said pupils all wear the same uniform at school but there’s clearly a divide because some aren’t as clean as they could be but, if you’re in the situation where you have to choose between cleaning or eating, what do you choose?

“I asked some of my clients if they’d be interested in bringing stuff in when they came in. I put something on Facebook and I’ve had a really good response so far. It only started last week.

“The food bank is going to come and distribute what we’ve got. I’ve got a wee basket in the salon and I’m saying to clients to get their friends to pop in. This is a community thing and we really can make a difference.

“So far I’ve had quite a few donations of toothpastes, toothbrushes, deodorants and shower gels.

“By no means are we asking for fancy things, that’s not the aim of it. It’s just basic needs that people need covered.

“People should be able to be clean in this day and age.”

No.4 Salon and Training Academy is open on Tuesdays (10am-4pm); Wednesdays (10am-5.30pm); Thursdays (10-8pm); Fridays (10am-7pm); and Saturdays (9am-4pm).

Call (01324) 227330 for more information.

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