Working within communities

Period Dignity Week 2026 brought community members together across our 9 localities to access free period products, supportive information and join conversations about period dignity for all. 

The week's focus this year was on strengthening community connections and increasing awareness to ensure community members know about the 100 community locations to obtain free period products year round. 

Venues included:

• Community Centres
• Sport Centres
• Leisure Centres
• Community Health Centres

Highlights

The major highlights of the week included: 

• 9 pop-up stalls across North Lanarkshire
• Over 30,000 units of period products distributed
• strong support and promotion through our social media, community partners, NHS Health Improvement and voluntary organisations 

Why It matters 

Period Dignity Week 2026 gave our community members the opportunity to:

• access free period products close to their homes
• learn more about our over 100 community locations for accessing a range of products year round
• share feedback on the campaign
• join and normalise open conversations about period dignity for all

Where we went

We held nine pop-up stalls across our localities including:

• Kilsyth Health Centre
• Airdrie Health Centre
• Tryst Sports Centre
• Bellshill Health Centre
• Motherwell Health Centre
• Buchanan Centre
• Shotts Leisure Centre
• Chryston Hub
• Houldsworth Centre 

Winter warmer events provide a warm and inviting environment for participants to enjoy. They often involve physical, social and cultural experiences and foster community season celebrations while supporting different community causes. Through the campaign we supported community engagement and the NHS Health Improvement Winter Warmer event across our communities. 

Between November 2025 and January 2026, we successfully distributed over 3,000 units of free period products across two events. 

Highlights

• The events recorded strong engagement with community members and high interest.
• Two information and resource stalls were set up with free period products and informational resources for community members.
• Feedback on positive impact of period kits for opening up period conversations with young people.
• Improved awareness of local support and anchor organisations.
• Increased collaborative engagement with community and voluntary organisations.

Why it matters

The events addressed immediate community needs and provided free access to essential products with:

• continued support for open and stigma-free conversations with young people and community members of different backgrounds
• opportunity to obtain feedback on campaign progress within localities
• information on future priorities and strengthened project awareness
• signposting of participants to local support services where relevant.

Where we went

Events were held across two community locations including:

• Airdrie @ Home Centre
• Lanarkshire Mosque Bellshill

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