The battle to end period poverty
In response to the UK period poverty crisis, in 2017 Bodyform pledged to donate 100k sanitary towels to those in need every month for 3 years.
To make sure our pads are reaching the people who need them the most, we partnered with In Kind Direct; the charity distributes new and unused products, donated by retailers and manufacturers, to charities, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations across the UK. Founded in 1996 by HRH The Prince of Wales, In Kind Direct has distributed almost £240 million in value of goods from almost 1,200 companies, helping 10,000 voluntary and community organisations reach millions of people in need.
Through In Kind Direct Bodyform have been able to help those who are most in need. A spokesperson from the Hayling Island Community Centre Association speaks of one example of a single mum of 3 teenage daughters struggling to buy life’s bare essentials, being on minimum benefits while looking for a job: “we put together a box of items for her, including enough sanitary towels to see her and her daughters through the year. She was extremely grateful for this.”
Research shows that 37 per cent of the nation – and 56 per cent of 18 to 24 year olds – have had to go without hygiene or grooming essentials, or cut down on them due to lack of funds . Through In Kind Direct we’ve also been able to help British Red Cross Refugee services like The Hackney Destitution Resource Centre, who provide support to destitute asylum seekers and refugees to distribute life-changing hygiene packs which help beneficiaries maintain normality and dignity.
So far, Essity (Bodyform’s parent company) has donated a total of £1.4 million of product. 1,062 charitable organisations benefitted from these donations in 2018, including those relating to domestic violence, health, child and youth care, local communities, and ethnic support groups. These goods help them to keep supporting the hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries they work with on an ongoing basis.
In January 2020, we are doubling our commitment to help continue the fight against period poverty. So far we’ve donated 3.6 million pads to local community groups and charitable organisations and we’ve seen the positive impact this has had. We pledge to supply 100k pads per month in a new commitment with In Kind Direct which will increase the number of pads donated to 6.6 million by 2023.