Glasgow schools continue to tackle period poverty

School pupils across Glasgow are being reminded of a “groundbreaking” app which shares hundreds of locations across the city offering free period products all year round.

The ‘PickupMyPeriod’ app allows users to identify locations across Scotland, where free period products will be available – including council buildings and sites across the city. The app was developed by Hey Girls and funded by the Scottish Government through their education arm ‘My Period’ and can be particularly useful during school holidays when access to period provision might not be as straightforward. It comes as questions were raised during the most recent finance and scrutiny committee about the city council’s approach to publicising free products more widely and ensuring young people have “stigma free” access to them.

During the meeting, Labour councillor Patricia Ferguson, asked officers what steps were in place to ensure young people still had access to these items during the school holidays. Councillor Ferguson said: “In terms of our support for period poverty which is very important, I wondered whether young people are able to access provision over the school breaks. Obviously if young people are going in for meals or other activities in the school, one would presume that would be available to them. But if it’s not available, are they at least provided with information about other sources for such material because the school holidays is a time where life carries on but if that is something that is a struggle throughout the rest of the year, it will be a struggle in the summer.”

A council officer advised members that period products are made available within schools for young people to use themselves or collect for their families as when they require them – including during the school break. The PickUpMyPeriod app is available all year but can be particularly useful during school holidays when pupils aren’t attending classes. The officer said: “If a school doesn’t happen to be open over the holidays for whatever reason or the young person isn’t attending the school for another programme there are other ways in which pupils and their families can get products. We have an app, called PickUpMyPeriod and within that app, no matter where you are in Scotland, you can see where there are products available.

“Our young people are much further ahead than the general population in terms of this, they know where they can get products for themselves and for their families, what they can get, and the time they can get them. We have got a period officer, who is out there working with our schools, making sure that young people are aware of what is available to them.”