Llantwit Youth Council – Period Poverty Campaign!
Summarising our Period Poverty Campaign..
Campaign information & recruitment video:
Our Period Poverty campaign began in June 2018 when Cllr Jane Norman of the Llantwit Major Town Council approached LYC about a new Period Poverty scheme developed by the VOGC. The scheme entailed all schools in the Vale being provided with a certain amount of sanitary products, which were to be distributed and utilised amongst the students in each school. Initially, LYC’s involvement with the scheme extended to monitoring its progress within the schools in Llantwit Major and providing feedback on the benefits and suggested improvements to the scheme. In doing so, us members of LYC became more aware of the issues surrounding period poverty and the importance of tackling it, and so we decided to start a campaign to raise awareness of Period Poverty and provide young people with easier access to these necessary sanitary products.
Since then we have made an educational video to raise awareness in the local community about what Period Poverty is and how detrimental it can be women and young girls when they cannot afford these products. Our video provides statistics demonstrating how Period Poverty has had, and continues to have a direct effect on girls’ education, as well as the struggles and insecurities girls feel during their periods. We have also included information about pick up points for our eco-friendly Period Packs and contact information that young people can use if they are struggling with accessing sanitary products.
Written by Tia-Jade Allen.
Sanitary packs:
WHAT WAS INCLUDED & DISTRIBUTION?
Despite the chaos created by the Covid-19 pandemic, Llantwit Major Youth Council has worked diligently to progress with their Period Poverty campaign and now has taken the next step; creating the ‘Sanitary Packs’. These packs are environmentally friendly, containing eco-friendly sanitary products such as pads and tampons, face masks and face towels, a compact ‘Period Powerful’ mirror as well as sweet treats for people to enjoy. Currently, the Youth Council has created over 100 of these packs, which are free and available for young people to access at VYS pop-up sessions and also in various places and businesses in Llantwit Major, including the leisure centre, town hall, Spar shop and Health Conscious. As lockdown restrictions continue to ease, the Llantwit Youth Council hope to make more of these packs and distribute them across a wider range of places in their bid to tackle Period Poverty and raise awareness of this issue.
Written by Tia-Jade Allen.
Would you like to get involved & have your say?
If you are committed to improving Llantwit town, working in partnership with local decision makers to ensure the views of young people are taken seriously, please contact us via…
Email: lyc@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk or Telephone: 01446 709308
