Our community is built on connection, creativity and inclusion. We support and organise events that bring people together; from lively family fun days in summer to cultural celebrations for ethnic minority communities as well as marking important days such as Mental Health and Challenge Poverty Week.
Challenge Poverty Week October 2025
The annual Challenge Poverty Week was held between 6 and 12 October 2025. We joined organisations across Scotland to raise awareness of the realities of poverty and promote collective action for change. Through the Access to Free Period Products Campaign, we focused on ensuring equitable access to period products and breaking down barriers that affect wellbeing, confidence and opportunity.
This year, we successfully distributed over 8,800 free period products across five events.
Highlights
- school-based activities including parents evenings encouraged open discussion on dignity, inclusion and the cost-of-living impact on students and their parents and carers.
- information stalls across five locations providing free period products and signposting support services.
- collaborative engagement with schools and voluntary organisations to strengthen community participation.
Why it matters
Challenge Poverty Week 2025 gave families the opportunity to:
- access free period products close to home.
- understand more about the campaign's commitment to the provision of free period products for all who need them without exclusion from learning, work or daily life.
- share feedback on the campaign and its impact.
Where we went
Events were held across community venues including:
- Maranatha Centre, Motherwell
- Millbrae Towers, Coatbridge
- Abronhill Primary School, Cumbernauld
- Chryston Primary School, Chryston
- St Patrick's Primary School, Kilsyth
Accessing free period products across community events
Community Events 2024/2025
In 2024/2025, we distributed over 98,000 free period products at 38 community events. 12 of these were focused specifically on period dignity, offering both reusable and single-use options.
A key highlight was the pilot Period Dignity Week in February 2025, which provided free products across 12 stalls in nine localities.
These events demonstrated the value of not only providing free products but also creating safe, welcoming spaces for conversations about periods. These help reduce stigma and ensures fair access to period products for everyone in North Lanarkshire.
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