Period Poverty

Period Poverty 

We are proud to announce the provision of free period products for our students, staff, and community. Thanks to collaborative work between Staffordshire University Students’ Union and Staffordshire University, dispensers containing tampons and sanitary towels have been installed in all our buildings across the Stoke, Stafford and London campuses so that you can take what you need when you need it.  

What is Period Poverty? 

Period Poverty is the lack of access to sanitary products due to financial constraints. In the UK, 1 in 10 girls can’t afford to buy menstrual products, and 1 in 7 have struggled to afford them. Many people are unable to afford both food and period products, so have to make a choice. In fact, until January 2021, tampons in the UK were subject to VAT, known as the “tampon tax”, as they were classed as “luxury, non-essential items”. Additionally, students in the UK have missed school, college, or university because they have had to use make-shift products which might not hold and leads to increased anxiety and stress.

Women and girls are not the only people affected by period poverty, as not all women menstruate and not all people who menstruate are women. People who are transgender, non-binary, and intersex also face financial difficulties surrounding periods, as they are more likely to live in poverty. They also might experience gender dysphoria during menstruation due to the gendering of periods as a women's issue or because periods are incompatible with how they wish their bodies functioned.

A problem which is intertwined with period poverty is the taboo and stigma surrounding the topic of periods. Periods are often seen as dirty or embarrassing, which is harmful to those who experience periods, especially during puberty, as many school students feel afraid to ask for help due to the stigma. Additionally, the pain experienced during menstruation leads to lower performance and attendance, causing students to miss out on essential learning.

Period Poverty at Staffs

The Students’ Union began tackling Period Poverty in 2018 with the launch of their campaign #PeriodPride. Led by 2018-19 Vice President Tuesday Forrest, the #PeriodPride campaign helped to raise awareness of the financial, social and physical impacts of period poverty, break down the stigma around periods and normalise talking about menstrual health, and reduce the barriers to accessing safe and quality sanitary products. Through donations, the Students’ Union began providing free tampons and sanitary towels in their venue bathrooms, which was continued post the 2018/19 academic year until the installation of this collaborative project. To read Tuesday’s report on the effects of period poverty, click here.

With the rising cost of living in 2022, it became clear that more needed to be done to support our community in tackling period poverty. Picking up where Tuesday left off, 2021-23 Students’ Union President Hannah Blackburn began work on the Period Poverty Project in May 2022, researching how provision could be expanded, budgets needed, what schemes are there at other institutions and locations, and what companies could be used to provide the products. An emphasis was also placed on the necessity for this to be an inclusive project because even though periods are considered as predominantly a women's issue, the project needed to be inclusive of the transgender, non-binary, and intersex members of our community. This was then brought to the University in August, who were highly supportive of the project, and so work began to implement a free provision of period products at our institution, in all buildings in Stoke, Stafford and London. After months of work, we are very excited and proud that the project is finally being rolled out, with products available from dispensers across campus from Wednesday 10th May. 

The Products

The company working with us on this project is Here We Flo, a supplier of organic and sustainable period care who hopes to inspire people to feel confident and empowered about their bodies and periods. Products are made with certified organic cotton, and use plant-based wrappers and applicators so they are biodegradable and compostable, all packaging is made of FCS-certified recyclable cardboard, and they are vegan and cruelty-free! Here We Flo also sells period underwear and products for bladder care and safe sex, so check out their website for more information.

The dispensers will be regularly stocked with the bamboo day pads and applicator tampons. Take what you need when you need it; the products are there to help everyone! If you find a dispenser which needs restocking, contact 3600@staffs.ac.uk

Where Can I Find the Dispensers?

As we have said, the dispensers are in all buildings on our Stoke, Stafford and London campuses, with signposting in the entranceways of the buildings and signs on the doors of bathrooms to highlight the presence of a period product dispenser. For a full detailed list of dispenser locations, see the guide below:

Stoke Leek Road Campus

• Ashley 1 Building
  • Ground floor, outside the bathroom entrances
  • 1^st floor, outside the bathroom entrances
• Ashley 2 Building
  • Ground floor, outside the women's bathroom
  • 1^st floor, outside the accessible bathroom
• Catalyst Building
  • Ground floor, bathrooms nearest to the lift, next to the cubicle doors
  • 1^st floor, bathrooms nearest to the lift, next to the cubicle doors
  • 2^nd floor, bathrooms nearest to the lift, next to the cubicle doors
  • 3^rd floor, bathrooms nearest to the lift, next to the cubicle doors
• Forest School and Nursery
  • Within the Forest School entrance
  • Outside the visitor bathrooms of the Nursery
• Science Centre
  • Ground floor, outside the bathroom entrances
  • 1^st floor, outside the bathroom entrances
  • 2^nd floor, outside the bathroom entrances
  • 3^rd floor, outside the bathroom entrances
• Sports Centre
  • Next to the changing room entrances
• Trent Building
  • Ground floor, outside the bathrooms closest to reception
• Verve
  • Inside the Verve bathroom

Stoke College Road Campus

• Beacon Building
  • Ground floor, next to the cubicle doors
  • 1^st floor, next to the cubicle doors
  • 2^nd floor, next to the cubicle doors
• Cadman Buildings
  • Entrance, outside the bathroom entrances
  • Library ground floor next to the vending machines, outside the bathroom entrances
  • Library 1^st floor, next to the Alfred Bolton room
  • Studio 1, outside the bathroom entrances
  • Studio 2, outside the bathroom entrances
  • Studio 5, outside the bathroom entrances
• Drama Studios
  • Outside the bathroom entrances
• Dwight Building
  • Outside the bathroom entrances
• Ember Lounge
  • Outside the bathroom entrances
• Flaxman Building
  • Ground floor, inside the accessible bathroom
  • 1^st floor, opposite the lifts, outside the bathroom entrances
  • 4^th floor, opposite the lifts, outside the bathroom entrances
• Henrion Building
  • Ground floor, outside the bathroom entrances
  • 1^st floor, outside the bathroom entrances
• Mellor Building
  • Ground floor, on the corridor by the accessible bathroom
  • 4^th floor, on the corridor by the accessible bathroom
  • 5^th floor, on the corridor by the accessible bathroom
• Squeezebox
  • In the bathroom
• Students’ Union Building
  • Outside the bathroom entrances

Stafford Campus

• Outside the bathrooms at the bottom of Stairwell D, near the main entrance
• Next to the rainbow cubicles in the centre of excellence
• Outside the bathrooms near the chaplaincy

London Campus

• Inside the Den bathroom (1^st floor)
• Inside the Data Junction bathroom (1^st floor)
• Inside the bathroom next to Reload (3^rd floor)