Help me to end period poverty in my school

[User5827372728]

Every sept I return to school I give myself a focus for the year.

This year I want to end period poverty in the school I work in.

I’ve got no problem getting the funding for me to purchase the sanitary products needed. And a know a local charity will support.

But I need your ideas in practically how it’s best to make this work, how to distribute to those in need, how is best to offer it

Any ideas most welcome.

Thank you

Hopeful bump for you OP; could you distribute to the cleaners, and then get some self adhesive small plastic wallets and stick them inside each cubicle, with a few liners, tampons and sanitary towels in each? I would imagine the cleaners come round in the morning and after lunch (?) they could maybe top up? Sorry if that's no help!

Ask all the other school that do it for ideas?

I work in a Education and we have products left in the toilets soo people can help themselves.

We also have a code word so people can ask at reception without having to specifically mention pads or tampons. Can't remember what the word is though.

There are lots of posters up so students are aware.

https://www.eis.org.uk/Content/images/period%20poverty/Distributing.pdf Googling it showed this which might help.

Our girls toilet cubicles all have a box of sanitary towels in them.

In my kids school they have baskets filled with pads, tampons and liners. These are in toilets and changing rooms.There are laminated cards that tell the kids where to find more if the baskets are empty and they also encourage you (well the parents really) to donate items or cash to buy more.
I remember one of the parents on the fb group opposing the idea. Her argument was "What if someone steals them?" Well then the idea worked then didnt it genius?.

The only thing that would put me off leaving products in toilets is a small percentage of pupils prone to being silly with them and wasting them - but maybe I went to a particularly bad school I imagine the novelty would wear off pretty quickly though.

My suggestion is not buying branded products. I’ve got two grown up daughters, so have had to buy loads over the years, and I’ve found all the supermarket brands to be great. Asda sanitary towels aren’t perfumed, which seems to be a rare thing nowadays. In my opinion the perfume is very distinctive, and I don’t think young girls want everyone to know when they’ve got their periods.

Great, lots of fab suggestions, thank you.

I’m really going to try my best to make this work and I’m a dignified way for those who need it.

There’s a handful I know well enough to just offer and will come find me if they need help but I don’t want any to go under the radar.

Just how perfumed are they?!

We hang pretty bags on the backs of the toilet doors with a variety of sanitary wear in them. We also have little baskets in each cloakroom. I’m Primary and we’ve never had any issues with them being thrown round etc. We also keep a pretty box of new pants in the cloak rooms of stages 5, 6 and 7.

We also offer a collection point at reception for anyone that requires a larger stock for over holidays.

If you can why not make up a little parcel for anyone who has periods (maybe a few pads, small bar of choc, a print out of ways to relieve period pain and an email address they can contact for privacy if they need more).
I saw something like this on Buzzfeed a couple of years ago and it made a big difference in the school.

My DDs school has sanitary towels in all the girls toilets to be used as needed.

I think you need to bear in mind that it is not only obviously disadvantaged already ‘on the radar’ girls that may not have access to enough sanitary products. There have been a few MN threads on this subject over the years and the amount of MNers who reported that their well-off, middle class parents failed to supply them with adequate sanpro was staggering.

Personally, I'd encourage the kids at your school to do this scheme themselves. Maybe like a Young Enterprise project where they make and sell reusable pads and liners, with a certain percentage being donated. I think it's a good opportunity to teach them about how great the reusesble/waste free options are, as well as helping girls who might not have access get access.

How did it work last year OP?

This is the second year sanitary products have been available free in schools, isn't it?

If you are going have to ask then it will put some girls off no matter how kind the offer is. Can you not provide them in all toilets and see how it goes instead?

Maybe like a Young Enterprise project where they make and sell reusable pads and liners, with a certain percentage being donated. I think it's a good opportunity to teach them about how great the reusesble/waste free options are, as well as helping girls who might not have access get access.

Reusable pads wouldn't work for many of the girls who need free sanitary products as they need somewhere to wash/dry them and have to carry the used pads around with them until they can do this. Not every child has access to a washing machine. Not every child has parents who will wash the pads or allow them to wash the pads themselves. Not every child will be comfortable carrying around used pads.

OP, put a basket in every toilet and changing room with the products in it and leave them to it.

Don't over complicate it. Just leave them in a basket in the toilets

Have you seen the purple box project?? Not sure if it is just local to us or nationwide but we have posters in all toilets and pastoral support has a box students can help themselves from...pshe lead always has a supply too as back up

purpleboxplace.wordpress.com/

Just leave them in the toilets.

My daughters school has a supply of products in each bathroom, there are also tables of "please take" throughout the school, so more period products (still in boxes etc to take home), food, toiletries, clothes (new pants/socks) and some uniform. These are placed in quieter areas of the school so they aren't misused but it's nice and easy to take anything you need.

I'm in Scotland and the schools and sports centres have products available in the toilets.

If you're in England there is already a scheme for free period products

educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2021/03/18/the-period-product-scheme-providing-young-people-with-period-products-when-they-need-them/

A basket or drawer system in the toilets might be easiest and will save the shy pupils from having to approach anyone to ask for them