Free period products and open conversations about menstrual
health are now available to families across Wales, with funding
helping to break stigma and tackle period poverty.
The Welsh Government's Period Dignity Grant, totalling over £3.45
million, provides free products in every school and college in
Wales, and in hundreds of other venues, including libraries,
leisure centres, food banks, youth hubs and sports clubs. This
funding is helping to remove barriers around periods and ensure
no one misses education, work or life because they cannot access
the products they need.
One example of the difference this funding can make is the
volunteer-led Period Positivity Project at the Family Action FOOD
Club at Fairwater Primary School in Cardiff. The project provides
free period products and educational resources, creating safe
spaces to talk about menstrual health. Around 30 people attend
sessions each week, and the project prioritises environmentally
friendly products wherever possible.
FOOD Club Co-ordinator, Steve Glavin, said:
“When we asked what other support our members needed, free period
products was by far the most frequent answer, so we were
delighted to receive a Period Dignity Grant to launch our Period
Positivity Project.
“Our members tell us that it has made a real difference, not only
in terms of easing the pressure on family budgets but also in
creating a safe space to talk openly and destigmatise the
issue. We have also worked with our host school to provide period
products and educational resources to engage with the students on
this important topic.”
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, , visited the project
this week. She said: "It was great to see the project in action
at Fairwater Primary. I could see how it's helping families and
young people access products and talk openly about periods in a
supportive environment. Period products are essential items and
should be freely available to everyone who needs them. Through
the Period Dignity Grant, we are funding projects across Wales
that help eradicate period poverty and ensure periods can be
managed with dignity."
Menstrual health is one of the priority areas in the Welsh
Government's Women's Health Plan. Since 2018, the Period Dignity
Fund has supported hundreds of projects across Wales, helping
local initiatives give people the confidence to discuss and
manage periods safely, confidently and without shame.
Notes to editors
Family Action launched Food On Our Doorstep (FOOD) Clubs to
provide good-quality food at a low cost, while also reducing food
waste.
