Free sanitary products available at ‘pop-up shops’

REUSABLE sanitary products are being made available for free at several ‘pop-up shops’ opening in Inverclyde.

Inverclyde Council staff will be on hand at local libraries to provide samples to anyone who needs them.

There will be pop-ups at the Greenock Central, South West, Port Glasgow and Gourock branches as part of the local authority’s ongoing promotion of free sanitary products and reusable items.

Earlier this year Scotland became the first country in the world to make period products free for all by law.

In Inverclyde, the council has been providing sanitary products in schools since 2018 before the initiative was rolled out to more venues and made available to order online for home delivery, all at no cost to those who need them.

Over the last six months alone, there have been 760 online orders placed by the public through the online ordering service and there are now 128 venues with accessible supplies.

Councillor Natasha McGuire, depute leader of Inverclyde Council, said: “As a council, we’ve really been at the forefront of making sanitary products free for those who need them and long may that continue, particularly in these challenging

Pop-up event Councillors Natasha McGuire and Lynne Quinn.

financial times with so many people struggling with the cost of living crisis.

“It’s wonderful that there is an online ordering system and nearly 130 local venues with stocks of supplies to make it as easy as possible for our residents to access period products as and when they need them.

“The pop-up shops in our libraries are another great idea by the council’s health and wellbeing

service to try and reach even more people.

“This initiative provides more options for how people manage their periods and it’s great to have more sustainable product options available that will widen the range of free products on offer with the aim of increasing accessibility, reducing stigma and ensuring period dignity for all.”

Free, reusable sanitary products will be available from popup shops at Port library today from noon-2pm, at Gourock on Tuesday November 29 from noon-2pm and Greenock South West branch on Friday December 2 from noon-2pm.

Councillor Lynne Quinn, who is Inverclyde’s women’s champion, said: “Sanitary products can be very costly and create an additional and unnecessary financial burden for many families – something they can ill-afford in these trying times when many households are having to choose between things like heating and eating.

“I’m proud that as a council we have embraced the free period products initiative right from the very beginning and worked hard to ensure as many people as possible can access products as and when they need them.”

Over the last six months, the council has distributed 3,894 disposable products and 1,503 reusable products.

There are 128 venues across Inverclyde which have been given a stock of free period products, including 28 schools, libraries, community centres, leisure facilities, GP surgeries, youth centres and the two zero waste food pantries in Grieve Road, Greenock, and John Wood Street, Port Glasgow.

Provision of free sanitary products is funded by the Scottish Government in partnership with COSLA and Young Scot.