Over the coming months leisure centres around Leeds will be providing free period products in a bid to tackle period poverty.
The charity that tackles the issue of period poverty, Freedom 4 Girls and Active Leeds have joined together to hand out items such as reusable pads at centres across the city throughout May, June and July.
This comes after Leeds City Council indicated that one in 10 girls in the UK cannot afford period products, with prevalent lack of access having detrimental impacts on young girls causing them to miss school, work and physical activity.
Charlotte O’Byrne, from Freedom 4 Girls, exclaimed how she hoped the events would help break the stigma around discourse about periods.
Events are taking place at the following locations:
- Kirkstall Leisure Centre – 21 May
- Armley Leisure Centre – 22 May
- Garforth Leisure Centre – 11 June
- Rothwell Leisure Centre – 12 June
- Middleton Leisure Centre – 25 June
- Pudsey Leisure Centre – 26 June
- Scott Hall Leisure Centre – 9 July
- Fearnville Leisure Centre – 10 July
- John Smeaton Leisure Centre – 16 July
- Morley Leisure Centre – 17 July
She said: “The main reason is that it starts the conversation about periods. The push for the fact that there should be period products available anywhere there is toilet roll has been really well received. Not just by mums and adult women, but men, dads and young people”