New scheme to tackle period poverty in Guernsey

A new scheme is being set up in Guernsey to try and tackle period poverty.

Sanitary products will now be available at the food bank on the island for women most in need of them.

It's all part of an initiative run by the Hey Girls group.

Waitrose in Guernsey is the first retailer to take up the scheme and it is based on a buy one, give one model.

Once customers purchase a Hey Girls sanitary product from Waitrose, one will be donated to a local charity- in Guernsey's case the food bank has been chosen.

The Hey Girls campaign is launching the social enterprise in 80 Waitrose branches from across the UK from 13th August.

Sales of Hey Girl products will be tracked by the initiative and they will then donate products sold in each branch to girls and women local to them each month.

The group say that the products are environmentally friendly, being made from sustainable natural bamboo and corn fibre.

According to Hey Girls up to one in ten girls across the UK struggle to afford tampons and pads.

Celia Hodson set up the group in January 2018 after her experiences of raising her children as a single parent on benefits and struggling to afford sanitary products.