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

@dementedpixie

Thank you.

Schools and colleges then choose how the products are made available to pupils. Some have them in the welfare room, others in toilets. Some organise drop-in sessions where learners can go to collect products.

My main question was around this part. What’s the best was to distribute as such

Thinking back to when I was that age. A basket in each cubicle would be the best way to be discreet. I remember I had to go to the San and ask Sister for pads and it was mortifying. (Then they got charged to my account ditto mortifying).

Leaving them in the toilets is the best way.

I don't know what a welfare room is but if there are boys there too then I'd avoid that, also sounds like an unnecessary detour on your way to the toilets.

A drop in session results in a queue of girls and extra work for the staff distributing. Some girls will avoid this as it's not discreet also.

A basket in the toilets is the best way. Available at all times to any girls that want to access it.

Discreet and in the very place you would need the items to be. You don't serve sandwiches in the toilets, you serve them in the canteen where they are meant to be consumed. Why would you treat sanitary products any other way?

I would say in the bathroom and maybe some signs saying who to ask if you need supplies for at home.

If it involves finding a teacher it may be more noticeable for peers the same with going to collect from nurse or reception.

@Cornettoninja

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.

I agree. My school was so shit we weren't even allowed toilet roll because the kids used to chuck it everywhere every time there was any there, I dread to think what mess they would make ripping tampons apart and sticking pads on everything.

Sorry this is a 'problems not solutions' post. What you are doing is fantastic.

My office (when we actually had an office pre covid) just had a plastic tupperware box in the ladies with a variety of products for people to pick up for free when needed. I use reusable products but the free ones came in handy when caught short a few times.

I wish my school did things like this when I was young. My parents could have afforded products but my mum is a massive prude and didn't educate me on periods or buy me sanitary products so I often had to create make shift ones from cotton wool and old socks until I got a saturday job at 16 and could buy my own. Awful now I think about it.

Do the students have lockers? At sixth-form we had a system were you registered your locker number (not name) and every so often someone with a master-key went round on an evening and left envelopes of condoms (the area had high teen pregnancy rate they were trying to tackle).

Could you do something similar but with sanitary care packages delivered monthly? Just thinking some might be too embarrassed to be seen going to collect, both due to poverty shaming and puberty body embarrassment.

I’m in Scotland too.

We have specific toilets (ones near the office/nurse for single occupancy only) which have a trolley with a selection of pads, tampons, deodorant and body sprays with a sign saying ‘Please take as much as you need’.

During lockdown, in the front porch of the school there were plastic crates with stationary, paper, jotters and sanitary products with the same sign.

Would there be an option for those you know are in need to request some more reusable things such as period pants and moon cups? They are definitely not for everyone and as a pp said some might have difficulty accessing washing facilities, but for those who do like them it would offer a longer term solution so they don't need to come every month.