We need to talk about period poverty.
As you probably know if you’re a regular on KatHorrocks.com – I am so passionate about women’s health, and believe that every woman deserves to feel her absolute best.
Periods may still be a taboo subject for society at large – but not for me. I’m extremely passionate about having an ongoing conversation about our bodies – whether it’s sharing a story that another woman can relate to, sharing tips, advice or just creating a space where women can go for support and not feel judged.
Today I am honoured to be sharing The Monthly Gift with you – a Manchester campaign that have been collecting and donating sanitary products since 2015.
Across the UK, young girls are missing school during their period because they can’t afford sanitary products. Sadly, when you consider the monthly expense that tampons, pads, pantyliners, new underwear, etc. can have – you can quickly see how it adds up to a lot of money. An expense many families can’t afford. Not to mention the homeless crisis in Manchester. I can’t imagine the difficulty and indignity these women and girls must go through during their period.
The Monthly Gift donates to local charities and food banks here in Manchester, tackling period poverty head on and helping people going through it.
They recently had a huge donation from the brand Bodyform – which I’m sure you’ve all used and heard of. How fantastic for a big name brand to get involved in raising awareness and helping tackle this issue – I hope other brands follow suit!
And you can help too! Get involved with The Monthly Gift by:
1 – Following them on social media – here on Facebook and @monthlygiftmcr on Twitter and Instagram – engage with their content and share their posts to spread the word!
2 – Host your own collection of sanitary products, donate them to your local charity and tag @monthlygiftmcr in a pic.
3 – Donate directly to the Monthly Gift at Oklahoma in the Northern Quarter – where they will pass on donations themselves.
4 – Donate via their GoFundMe account to support their ongoing efforts.
And if you aren’t in the Manchester area, I invite you to research any other charities in your area supporting those effected by period poverty – whether it’s food banks, homeless charities, women’s shelters or others. I’m sure a quick Google search will bring up a few for you to get involved with. Whether it’s donations, fundraising, collections or even just sharing the campaigns on social media – every little helps.
This is a horrible reality for many people, but we can make a difference with our donations. A pack of tampons to us isn’t much – less than the price of my weekend G&T – but for one young girl it could mean not missing out on school for the week. And that’s huge.
Thank you SO much for reading – please show some love to The Monthly Gift on social media (their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram links are here) and share this post to spread the word.
Together, we can end period poverty. ❤️
Love & Good Vibes,
Kat x
PS – Thanks to The Monthly Gift for providing the images for this post!
