Plymouth Argyle start issuing free sanitary products at Home Park

Free sanitary products will be available around Home Park from this weekend as Plymouth Argyle make efforts to help fight period poverty.

Young female fans often attend the club's games with male friends and relatives, said a club spokesperson, and asking for money to buy products at the stadium can be uncomfortable.

"We hope that this will erase any worry and people can just come and experience the joy of football with no other worries," said Siobhan Robbie-James, Supporter Relations Manager.

"As we continue to navigate this pandemic, we are seeing people struggle with financial hardship and everyone is feeling the cumulative stress of learning to live with Covid," Siobhan added.

"If people don't have the products they need, they're forced to use alternatives and some people have no choice but to use nothing at all.

"Not being able to access period products is incredibly stressful - it can lead to low self-esteem and panic. It also stops people from leaving home to go to work, school or social occasions such as the football - and we are striving at Argyle to make Home Park as inclusive a venue as possible."

Plymouth Argyle's decision to introduce free sanitary products follows a number of other steps to try and make the club more inclusive.

Period poverty has worsened in the UK since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to several charities.

Menstrual products were given out to NHS workers who were working such long hours that they were unable to get to a shop to buy them.

The free sanitary items at Home Park will be made available in all female and accessible toilets.