NCS’ers Launch Project to Combat Period Poverty
Recognising it as a problem that gets overlooked in society, an inspiring group of 9 young women on NCS launched a unique project named ‘Padded, Protected and Proud‘ this summer to combat period poverty.
The group, who only met 2 week earlier, are part of the National Citizen Service programme (NCS) programme with Palace For Life Foundation (Crystal Palace). NCS is a 2-week experience, where young people band together, form new friendships, take on exciting challenges, as well as having the opportunity to complete a social action project, allowing them to impact their local community and enhance their own skills.
For their project, the group, under the name of ‘Brue Girls Rule’, set out on a mission to help tackle menstruation poverty for homeless women or those living in difficult situations. The group spent some time researching ways they could provide support and ss young women themselves, they resonated personally with the issue which added further motivation for their project.
Ife was one of the members of Brue Girls Rule, and said the following:
“We were all on the same page during the project, which helped because it gave every member of the group an opportunity to speak up and be listened to.”
“Within only a couple of hours, we had created a clear plan of action for how we would help the issue of period poverty and women’s homelessness in the local area. We had our own designated roles to help with the team’s productivity, which worked well, and everyone felt they had a responsibility within the team, contributing to our success.”
The project was given the slogan, ‘Padded, Protected and Proud’ with a collective aim to ‘embrace, embody and empower women all across the world’. Prior to startignt heir project they presented their idea to a panel an becoming the eventual winners. Watch more below.
https://twitter.com/PalaceForLife/status/1551949001959809024
With the cost-of-living crisis also playing a major role in the overall decision-making of the project, ‘Brue Girls Rule’ decided to support women in their communty by creating special care packages. The packages contained vital menstruation products some women may not be able to afford such as, sanitary products, toiletries and other health products. They were then passed onto Crisis Skylight Croydon, a local homeless charity.
As the project gained momentum, they came up with the idea of including informative handmade leaflets within the care packages, including guidance as well as messages of reassurance that would help young women with their periods, recognising that periods during a young woman’s life can be a time of uncertainty and anxiety.
Crisis Skylight Croydon, had this to say to the group and the impact of the project:
“Thank you so much to the young people and their project, which included kind donations of toiletries and sanitary products, we are so grateful for their help.
It is so wonderful to see local people supporting other local people and organisations. We rely heavily on donations of things like toiletries and often at this time of year, so from all of us at the Croydon Skylight, THANK YOU to all involved!”
With a community impacted for the better, Brue Girls Rule are hopeful that their project’s legacy can be a catalyst for change and that more light will be shown towards the topic of period poverty within the long-term.
Ife from Brue Girls Rule added:
“Overall, I had so much fun on NCS and I just want to say how grateful I am to my team for making this experience even more enjoyable!
Thank you NCS, BRUE GIRLS RULE! Heres to a great Summer!”
Thousands of other young people on NCS like Brue Girls Rule, have been volunteerign their time this summer to improve themselves and their communities. Read here about how a group from Sheffield have been helping homeless people.
