The delivery included essential items such as soap, shower gel, nappies, toilet rolls and household cleaning supplies. These will now be distributed to students, families and the wider community, helping to address hygiene poverty and ease everyday pressures..
Ruth Brock, CEO of The Hygiene Bank, joined the team at Nightingale to see first-hand the difference their donations are making.

“Thank you to the Community Team at Co-op Academies Trust for hosting me and letting me get involved with the deliveries,” Ruth said. “It was honestly fantastic to see first-hand what you’re accomplishing in the schools and to learn so much from you all about the families and communities that you’re serving and how we can help you to do that.”

Now 18 months in post, the Community Team has already made a significant difference to the lives of families across the Trust. Each academy now benefits from a dedicated Academy Community Pioneer (ACP) who works to strengthen local ties and create meaningful opportunities to support both the school and the surrounding community.

Thanks to their combined efforts, many academies now have community fridges, local pantries, or social supermarkets on-site, making essential items more accessible to those who need them most.

Liz Garrity, Head of Community at Co-op Academies Trust, praised the continued support from The Hygiene Bank and the dedication of the ACPs.

She said: “Our teams are working hard every day to make our academies centres of support and solidarity. This kind of partnership is vital to making that vision a reality. A huge “thank you” to Ruth, The Hygiene Bank and our incredible Community Team colleagues.”