As part of our Harvest Collection earlier this month, students donated a fantastic amount of sanitary products and knickers for Sanitation4Sisters – a new charity that was founded by Venus, one of our Sixth Formers.  Sanitation4Sisters aims to tackle the issue of Period Poverty within the UK and increase the number of women receiving essential sanitary products that are so often not available to the wide majority. The charity also aims to tear down the stigma surrounding menstruation, whilst also raising awareness so that everyone can have an understanding of the severity of period poverty, an issue that women face every day.

We interviewed Venus to find out more.

What inspired you to set up the charity? What made you take action and set up the charity?  

A school assembly in Year 10 served as a profound awakening to the harsh realities of period poverty. The astounding percentage of women facing this issue was a surprise to me, as well as the effects it has on women’s physical and mental well-being. This pivotal moment ignited my determination to contribute towards eliminating the problem and de-stigmatising the conversation.

Was it challenging setting up the charity? 

Setting up this charity was no easy feat however my desire to tackle this issue served as a driving impetus towards overcoming the challenges that it entailed. The main issue that arose was finding out how to provide these products to the women and to whom we provide them for. This is due to the stigma surrounding the topic of menstruation; many women are embarrassed to talk about it or to ask for help.

How did you set up the link with the Marylebone Project? 

We decided that the most efficient way to distribute out products to women in need was to create a connection with a homelessness organisation that could put us in contact with the women they help. After researching women’s homelessness organisations, we got in touch with a few of our favourite and had meetings with many to discuss our ideas and plans. The Marylebone Project’s objectives aligned most with ours, so we decided to form a partnership; our material and monetary donations are donated to the women who the Marylebone Project oversee.

What have you done so far, and what events are you planning to support the charity? 

We currently have had two successful donation strategies, the first was making a social media account, that helps raise awareness for our cause. So far from our online presence we have raised £3500; we also hosted a fundraiser in school where we asked the students to bring in any spare sanitary products for the harvest collection. In the future we are planning to install sanitary donation baskets around the school and in the Sixth Form, so that girls can donate a product or two whenever they have any spare.

Have you managed to get other NHEHS girls to get involved? 

I have managed to acquire the help of a handful of sixth-formers at Notting Hill, namely: Bella P-M, Isabella H and Vivien S. I have also been making arrangements with the Head of Sixth form to see what we can do to further explore Sanitation4Sisters within NHEHS.

If you would like to find out more, or donate, please visit the Sanitation4Sisters website. Thank you for your support.