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Free sustainable period products for Flintshire’s children and young women

Published: 07/01/2022

Children and young women attending Flintshire schools will be able to receive free sustainable period products delivered directly to their doorsteps from January 2022 thanks to a new partnership between Flintshire County Council and Hey Girls, an award-winning UK-based period product company. The programme has been developed with Welsh Government funding to promote period dignity across Wales.

So far, Hey Girls has distributed 1.7 million period products via its home packs initiative. In addition to Flintshire County Council, other councils in Powys, Denbighshire, Fife, Falkirk and Edinburgh and Inverness College have taken up the Hey Girls period home pack service.

Flintshire County Council’s Deputy Leader (Partnerships) and Cabinet Member for Social Services, Councillor Christine Jones, said:

“This is an excellent initiative - I fully support our young learners having access to these free sanitary products.  This sensitive issue is often a difficult and “taboo” subject and young girls particularly can feel stigmatised and vulnerable.  

“Being able to order products for free online, delivered to their home, will ensure that they do not miss out on any school time and they can participate fully in society.”

Hey Girls products are chemical-free, responsibly sourced and made from eco-conscious materials including recycled water bottles, organic cotton and sustainable bamboo. 

Celia Hodson, Founder & CEO of Hey Girls said: 

“Period products are a necessity, but they are expensive. Tight budgets can leave people forced to prioritise other purchases, leaving them without the right period products, without enough period products, or without any period products at all.

“Increasing access to period products is really important. Free products can keep people in school, improve concentration, encourage participation in sport, and support good health. They prevent people having to make dehumanising choices – to wear the wrong product, or a worse quality product, or to wear a product for longer than is hygienic or safe. 

“At Hey Girls we believe that access to quality period products is a right, not a privilege. No one should have to choose between bleeding on their trousers and eating lunch. Free products not only help end period poverty, they promote period equality.”

Here’s what some of the students have to say:

“I think that reusable pads are good because they are environmentally friendly as they reduce plastic waste.  I also think that they are better and more comfortable.”

“I believe that everyone should have access to reusable pads and also disposable pads.  The idea of mailing products to your home is good, people may be embarrassed to ask for pads and this would be a lot more discreet.”

“I believe that period products are an essential item, not a luxury, and every girl and woman should have access to them.”

Hey Girls is a period product social enterprise. For every product it sells it donates the equivalent product to someone in need. Since the community interest company was established in 2018, Hey Girls has donated over 19 million period products. Its aim is to help eradicate period poverty, enable better access to quality period products for all and to stomp out the stigma and bust the myths and taboos that surround periods.

If you are aged 8-18 years and attend a school in Flintshire, please visit Hey Girls website to apply for free period products.