‘We will not stop fighting until the UK is rid of period poverty once and for all’, a multi-award-winning social enterprise has said after publishing a hard-hitting impact report on its recent work.
Hey Girls, recently named Scottish Social Enterprise of the Year, issued the report in a year that saw it surpass astonishing milestones of donating 30 million period products and saving 780 million disposables from going to landfill since 2018.
The not-for-profit operates on a buy one, donate one model, matching every purchase with a donation to its community partners across the UK – including foodbanks and women’s refuges.
Its commercial partners include big names like Heathrow Airport, Mitie and Lyreco.
Other milestones detailed in the report include supporting more than 23,500 young people to feel confident about taking part in sports while on their period through its involvement in the Big Sister project.
Kate Smith, Co-Founder and Director of Hey Girls, said: “This has been an incredible year for us as a social enterprise and it is great to know more people are receiving support against period poverty thanks to our work.
“That feeling is bittersweet however, knowing there are still people experiencing period poverty in 2023.
“The incredible year included the passing of the historic Period Products Act in our native Scotland, making access to free products a legal right for all in the country.
“We are proud to have played such a big role in making the law a reality – and now want to achieve the same across the UK.”
Hey Girls announced numerous new commercial partnerships in the last year, including Henkel and AXA UK.
The number of community partners it supports also more than doubled from 150 to 300 in just 12 months.
The team also delivered 50 “Train the Trainer” sessions, equipping teachers, wellbeing officers, support workers and business leaders with the tools they need to better understand and support people with periods.
Kate added: “Our family was inspired to launch Hey Girls because of our own personal experiences with period poverty – something we do not want anyone else to experience again.
“Thanks to our amazing partners, we are gradually getting closer to making that dream a reality.
“We are all so thankful to all our supporters and look forward to an even bigger and better future.”
To read the 2022 impact report in full, visit https://www.heygirls.co.uk/about/hey-girls-social-impact/.
