Pick an old towel you can do without and get a sharp pair of scissors. Cut the towel into foot long strips, fold in half and pop inside your knickers. Fill a bucket with cold water and some washing up liquid and each time you need to change, put the used one in the bucket to soak. At the end of the day or every 2 days, wring them out (wash your hands afterwards or wear gloves) and put them in the wash.
You should be able to get at least 8 pads out of a decent sized towel. Basically enough to last you a day and a half to 2 days if you aren't very heavy. Once you've got about 2 left, pop all the used soaking one's on a quick 60 degree wash then hang them up to dry or tumble dry.
I'm not much of a believer in period poverty. Disposable pads are available at all supermarkets for as low as 50p-75p. As someone who has endometriosis and used to bleed very heavily and now spots for weeks on end, I still only need to spend about £3 max a month on sanitary wear and if I didn't have the money, I would just cut up a towel like I said and plan better for the next time.
I only truly believe homeless women and for example refugees coming here with nothing would really struggle. You can also get free contraception that will stop periods altogether if you truly, truly can't afford sanitary wear or don't have an old spare towel!
We all need toilet roll or access to something to wash yourselves down there after the toilet but this isn't being given away or made a big deal of. Nappies aren't given away or being made a big deal of.
Period poverty was invented as another martyr for women to complain about. 'I didn't choose to be female so I shouldn't have to pay for something I can't help having'. There's lots of things human beings need to be hygienic that are not free. It's part of life!
It's the UK not Syria. There will be a supermarket within walking distance to buy a 50p packet of pads from and failing that, use the other tip I suggested