A Facebook group set up to help local businesses promote themselves while raising money for charity has passed a double milestone: nearly 6,000 members, and more than £1,270 raised for the local branch of The Hygiene Bank. Following that success, The Probate Network is now looking for other local charities across the county to support in the same way.
UK — 13 July 2026
The group, “St Albans, Harpenden, Luton and Hemel Business Advertising & Recommendations”, is free for anyone to join, but businesses wanting to promote their goods and services make a £10 annual donation through Just Giving. Every penny goes directly to The Hygiene Bank branch covering Harpenden, St Albans, Luton and Hemel Hempstead. To date, the group has raised £1,130, plus a further £147.50 in Gift Aid.
The Hygiene Bank exists because hygiene poverty is real and, in many households, growing. Families in crisis are routinely forced to choose between heating their home, paying rent, putting food on the table and keeping clean. The charity collects new, sealed products such as shampoo, toothpaste and deodorant, then sorts and distributes them through a network of local charities, community organisations and schools.
Julie Draper, Founder of The Probate Network, said: “It is not acceptable, in a society as wealthy as ours, that people cannot afford soap, shampoo or toothpaste. Being clean is not a luxury. It is a basic dignity, and going without it is shaming and isolating in a way that most of us will never have to experience.”
She added: “The reason this works is the local aspect. People engage because they know the support stays in their own community, and they can see where it goes. It works for the businesses too. Most of them are small, and marketing costs are one of the things they struggle with most, so a £10 donation that buys them a genuine local audience is a win for everyone involved.”
On the plan to expand, Julie said: “Every company should be attempting to support charitable and community initiatives on some level. It is good for the community, it is good for staff morale, and it is good for any business that wants to demonstrate real corporate social responsibility rather than talk about it. We would now like to find other charities across the county and set up groups in the same way. The only requirement is that the charity is genuinely local, or, like The Hygiene Bank, a national charity with local branches, so that the money raised can be ring-fenced for that branch and stay in the community that gave it.”
Charities interested in being considered are invited to get in touch with The Probate Network.
About The Probate Network
The Probate Network is a UK probate comparison and guidance platform, based in Chesham, Buckinghamshire. It helps people who are dealing with the death of a family member or friend to understand the probate process and compare their options, so they can find the right support at what is often the most difficult time of their lives. The Probate Network is an FCA-regulated Introducer Appointed Representative.
For more information on The Hygiene Bank, including drop-off points, visit: The Hygiene Bank
To join the Facebook group, visit: St Albans, Harpenden, Luton and Hemel Business Advertising & Recommendations
To donate directly, visit: The Probate Network’s Just Giving page