Period Dignity Hull is a collective of individuals and organisations in the city who are dedicated to making Hull period friendly.
Councillor Hester Bridges, Chair of Hull Health and Wellbeing
Board, started bringing people together over a year ago to help tackle period poverty and campaign to destigmatise periods. In doing this she has worked with the Council, health partners, the Voluntary and Community sector, and many others too. Hester explained:
“We have done a lot in the last two years to raise the profile of period poverty and start the campaign for period dignity in Hull. Now we have a small collective that we hope will be
come bigger and louder!
We did a survey and found that 30% of girls and women in Hull have struggled to afford or access period products at some point in their lives. This is just an indication of the problem. We also know that periods are still a taboo subject for so many, across the genders, and want to change this with help from all those who are willing to join the collective or become Period Allies.
On Wednesday 10th March, come and join us for our Zoom launch event.
We'll hear about what drove people to get involved, and find out more about our plans and what we want to achieve in Hull.
We want Hull to be a city where:
- everyone can access the period products they need;
- periods are destigmatised and talked about openly.
Date: Wednesday 10th March
Time: 6.30pm
Meeting ID: 876 5334 3487
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87653343487
Period Dignity Hull could not have happened without the individuals and organisations who have joined the collective and supported us so far. A huge thank you to them for helping us get to this point, the launch and start of something bigger.”
Emma Latimer, Accountable Officer for NHS Hull Clinical Commissioning Group, said:
“This is an issue I have championed from the very start, as I feel strongly that no one should miss school or a day of their education because of period poverty. There has been some incredible partnership work across the city leading up to the launch of Period Dignity Hull and I want it to be a real success. Building a network of Period Allies is a fabulous idea to help destigmatise the issue and make Hull a period-friendly place that supports all women and girls to achieve their full potential.”
Some members of the Hull Period Dignity collective explain what inspired them to become involved:
Thomasin Seddon SEND Teaching Assistant and NEU Women’s Officer referenced a survey undertaken by Plan International UK which found that 1 in 10 girls cannot afford period products, 49% of girls have missed school due to being on their period, and 59% have made up a lie or excuse to avoid going to school during their period. Thomasin said “This compounds inequality. I want to do what I can to support this collective, who are committed to changing this for our young people and making them proud, confident menstruators!”
Stacy McEvoy of Purple House explains why they stand with the collective to ensure dignity for all “Dignity means being able to talk openly about the issues that affect us without shame. Purple House has, for over 20 years been having challenging conversations to reduce shame for women and ensure their dignity. Period poverty has been exacerbated by the disruptions caused by Covid-19 and continues to be used as a tool of control by perpetrators of domestic abuse.”
Andie Cropper founded Andie’s Period Poverty Support in November 2020. She said “I am a passionate believer that anyone with periods should have access to the products they need. Since starting the project I have been taken aback by the generosity of the public. Being part of this collective of likeminded people means we can ensure help reach anyone who needs it.”
Lydia Rangeley of the Warren said “the Warren Youth Project is proud to be part of a partnership dedicated to making Hull a period friendly city and we will continue to listen to and highlight the needs of the young people we meet and work with.”
Our Mission Statement
Working collectively, to ensure dignity for all menstruators.
We believe that…
- no one should go without period products because they cannot afford them or are too embarrassed to ask for them;
- period poverty maintains inequality, so by challenging this we are moving closer to a fairer society;
- the dignity of menstruating is as much about the language we use as the access to affordable products;
- people who have periods should have access to a range of products to suit their needs and lifestyle choices;
- in order to achieve period dignity we need to work collaboratively with others.
We want Hull to be a city where:
- everyone can access the period products they need;
- periods are destigmatised and talked about openly.
We aim to do this by:
- establishing a range of donation and collection points across the city where period products can be accessed freely;
- challenging the stigma and taboos by proactively having conversations and discussions about language, beliefs and facts;
- building a network of Period Allies across the city and beyond;
- promoting Period Dignity Hull and the work we do across all mediums and platforms that are available to us.
How to get involved
Email us perioddignityhull@gmail.com for more information on how you can become part of the Period Dignity Hull Collective!
Could you collect period product donations for us? Get in touch!
Email us your stories, questions and experiences! We LOVE talking about all things periods
Follow us and share our posts on social media so we can reach as many people across our city @perioddignityhull
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