Soap dispenser with shield

A dispenser for dispensing soap strips provided in a stack, the stack having an uppermost strip and a lowermost strip, the dispenser comprising:

• a housing, having a compartment for receiving the stack and having a dispensing opening beneath the compartment through which an individual strip can be dispensed downwards to a user;
• an engagement element, movably mounted with respect to the housing to engage the lowermost strip and separate the strip from the stack, such that the strip can exit through the dispensing opening;
• an actuator, arranged to cause movement of the engagement element to dispense one or more strips into the hand of a user;
• and
• a shield for reducing or avoiding caking of the engagement element, wherein the shield comprises a tubular section below the dispensing opening having a length from an exposed surface of the engagement element to a lowest point of the housing.