Morrisons is helping tackle period poverty by offering a new discreet service that will allow customers to gain access to free sanitary products.

The new initiative will be rolled out in all 497 of its stores after an employee came up with the idea to help vulnerable customers.

Customers in need can now go to any Morrisons customer service desk nationwide and ask for a package for 'Sandy' or a 'period product pack'.

The customers will then be given a free discreet envelope with sanitary products and no questions asked.

The Herald:

The package is made up of a brown paper bag with two single sanitary towels.

The ‘Package for Sandy’ initiative was created and launched by Community Champion, Emma Parkinson, who saw the need for the service in her local area.

The initiative is now being rolled out nationwide across all Morrisons stores in the UK in a bid to beat period poverty.

On Tuesday 24 November 2020, Scotland made sanitary products free to all who need them, becoming the first country in the world to do so.

The Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill was introduced in April 2019 by Scottish Labour's health spokeswoman Monica Lennon MSP with the aim of tackling "period poverty", which is when some people who need period products struggle to afford them.

However, the new Morrisons scheme means that free products will now be available in your local supermarket too.

The Herald: Emma ParkinsonEmma Parkinson

Emma Parkinson, Community Champion at Morrisons Bolton Atlas, said: 

"Period poverty is a real problem and going to a school in a predominantly low-income area gave me an insight into what it’s like to have no access to sanitary wear.

"It’s shocking that young girls and women go without sanitary products through no fault of their own so I’m really pleased that we at Morrisons can help to support those in need across the whole of the UK.” 

Following the success of the recent Buy One Donate One campaign on sanitary products, Morrisons is also donating 125,000 sanitary products which will be distributed to local charities by community champions nationwide. 

For more information visit www.morrisons.co.uk.