UL student project ‘Anytime of the Month’ aims to alleviate the effects of period poverty 

UL student project ‘Anytime of the Month’ aims to alleviate the effects of period poverty 

 

Anytime of the Month is a student-led social enterprise aiming to alleviate the effects of period poverty through creating a network of friendly strangers.

The project was founded by Clodagh Guerin, a student at the University of Limerick, who is passionate about ending period poverty for sanctuary students on her university campus. Upon researching period poverty in Ireland, Clodagh realised it was a much larger problem, and impacted many more people, not just minorities. In fact, it impacts the lives of 1 in 2 teenagers in Ireland. By advocating for free sanitary products for students, Clodagh brought about real change in the University of Limerick campus, with the Student Life building now supplying free sanitary products in all bathrooms

In early 2020 the project joined Enactus UL; an international student social enterprise society, to grow and to make even more positive changes. Together with a passionate team, it transformed the campaign into a viable sustainable social enterprise. The team carried out a primary needs assessment to research the extent of period poverty in our local community, with 33% of those surveyed finding it difficult to pay for sanitary products. A massive 75% of people surveyed have worn a sanitary product longer than the recommended 4 hours because they had a shortage of money or didn’t have access to them. This is a form of period poverty, that those surveyed didn’t even realise they are experiencing, and the team believes this needs to end.

If you haven’t already check out our promo video! Can’t wait for you guys to follow us on our journey and developing a network of friendly strangers aiming to alleviate period poverty!! pic.twitter.com/uaspRt7oSu

— Anytime of the Month (@AnytimeMonth) September 6, 2020

Anytime of the Month have launched their website where people can become an ambassador to their network. The steps to becoming an Anytime of the Month ambassador are simple:

1. Buy an Anytime of the Month badge or sticker on the website.
2. Display our logo and become an Anytime of the Month ambassador. Someone in need of a sanitary product can approach you, a friendly stranger and get a sanitary product from you or you can direct them to a partner.
3. Profits from your Anytime of the Month purchase go to alleviating period poverty with the people that suffer most, in an environmentally sustainable way by partnering with Doras- A charity that helps migrants and those living in direct provision in Ireland.

Clodagh Guerin, Founder and Project Lead of the project said, “I am so thrilled to launch the Anytime of the Month website; it is the culmination of months of hard work and dedication. Lockdown for many meant that work stopped, but the Anytime of the Month team worked tirelessly to get the website up and running, and to make sure that we reached as many people as possible! This is a difficult time financially for so many people, and unfortunately, it is in that climate that period poverty as an issue grows. The website launch now means that we have a hub to communicate with our network, and to raise both awareness and funds to help end period poverty in Ireland. Our new partnership with Doras Luimnigh means that the profit that the website generates goes straight to the people that need it most. We cannot wait to welcome more people into the network of friendly strangers as this project grows!”

Anytime of the Month are also looking to partner with companies for them to become Anytime of the Month approved businesses. More info can be found HERE or by emailing [email protected].

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