Preventing period poverty in Ellesmere Port

In the UK, over the past few years, there has been a growing awareness that 'period poverty' is an alarming reality for many women from poorer communities. Reports suggest that the homeless and refugees struggle with this issue, but it is also affecting young mums and school girls from low-income households. Some argue that access to safe and sanitary products should be a basic human right. Increasingly, however, more and more women are finding that this 'human right' is not being met and may be in need of additional support.

The GAPP Initiative (Giving Against Period Poverty) began in 2018 and started from a God-inspired and homegrown project at St Thomas and St Lawrence Churches in Ellesmere Port.

The Revd Gill Foster, Associate Rector at Ellesmere Port, says: "We had no major goals initially, we simply just wanted to help tackle period poverty and to build awareness of the reality of period poverty in our local community; particularly for young women and school girls. We set about trying to achieve this by gaining support through regular donations, enabling us to provide free sanitary products for those who really need this sort of help in our community."

Since starting in early 2018, the GAPP Initiative has received donations and distribution support from individuals and local organisations and businesses. As interest and awareness have grown, the number of donation collection and distribution points has increased at locations across Ellesmere Port. Morrisons Supermarket in Ellesmere Port came on board and allows GAPP to use one of its trolleys for customer donations. All the donations received by GAPP are helping to make a huge impact on the number of women and girls that are supported in the local community.

Sanitary products are distributed through a number of avenues, including local high schools, community centres, children's centres, the local library and public advice centres.

Find out more about the GAPP initiative.

Page last updated: Monday 21st January 2019 12:49 PM
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