I would like to share something I have decided to do. I was really inspired by what 18u did for the homeless this Christmas. It got me thinking and after reading some really horrible stuff online I've decided to do something to help. What I'm talking about is homeless girls and women and their periods. We think of homeless going without food and being cold but does anyone really think about the those poor girls and women each month who have to suffer through their periods. Most go completely without anything, others steal pads and tampons. They will try and stay near public toilets all day and use loo roll if available. Some even use dirty old underwear rolled up to protect themselves. The problem they face with this and being homeless is infection. I find it shocking. As well as this, as some of us females will know, it can be very painful, we can suffer terrible cramps and is very uncomfortable. These homeless women will have no relief to this pain. As most will know the government give out contraception free to anyone in the UK so why can this not be done for sanitary products for the people who need them most? I understand from what I've read that just a few hostels and shelters do provide pads and tampons to women and girls who stay with them but what if they are full? What about the ones who can not access such a place?

What I've decided to do is use my next allowence to purchase these essential things and donate them to people that work with the homeless women and girls in the area I live. The family I live with have said they will double the amount I have to help. This will mean I will be able to buy a huge amount of these essential things all girls and women need.

Below is a couple of statements i read online which made me decide to do this.

Sanitary ware in this country is classed as a "luxury, non-essential item" and is taxed at 5 percent. Precisely what could be considered luxurious about stemming the monthly blood flow that, as women, we don't really have much say over, is a perpetual question. But without the means to purchase these simple "luxuries", homeless women are constantly forced to go without.

Shelters get an allowance every year to buy items like condoms, but still nothing for sanitary products

Well done. What a fantastic idea! It will make a real difference to women who are struggling with this hidden problem. You are so right. Although it was a long time ago, I still remember what it was like to live rough and try and cope with that time of month. People never think about this type of thing and I wish more people did. We provide sanitary products free in the centre at 18u, but I for one have never thought about making them more widely available outside the centre. I am going to check and see if we put them in our goody bags that are handed out to women on the street. If we don't I'm going to make sure that in future sanitary products are in these bags. Thank you for highlighting this important issue.

That is a real nice thing to do you must be a real nice person :)

What a lovely thing to be doing. It might be worth looking into menstrual cups, rather than tampons and towels. They last for years and simply need emptied down the toilet or even a sink. Might be a better option for homeless women?

I can also recommend simple little acts of kindness, once me and the kids went and bought a reduced bouquet of flowers from the supermarket and walked around the town giving people a flower. Some people looked at us like we were mad, but other people gave up the biggest smile ever.

Hey Lou nice to meet you!

That is a fantastic idea well done, it's great to know that someone out there is thinking of these poor women and I think it is a fantastic thing to do.

Well done again

Hey marley, ive looked up what the menstrual cups are and think they would be better. Never heard of them before. Do you know of any shops I can buy them from? Ive only come across sites to order them from online.

Buying them online is cheaper, but you can get them in boots