Hibs have announced a new partnership with Hey Girls, a Dunbar-based social enterprise company set up to tackle period poverty, to provide free products for fans at Easter Road.
Female fans will be able to access free Hey Girls products in the washrooms at the stadium from this Saturday’s match against Dundee.
It is estimated that 1 in 10 women in the UK struggle to afford period products. Hey Girls operates a Buy One Give One model, which means that for every box of products sold, a box is donated to someone in need via a network of donation partners including schools, colleges, food banks, women’s shelters and community centres.
Hibs’ partnership with Hey Girls means that for every box purchased by the club, a donation is matched into the local community to tackle period poverty. In this instance, matched donations will go to Canongate Youth, who support young people in Edinburgh.
The group operate close to the Cowgate, the birthplace of the club, and also receive match tickets through the supporter-driven Kicks for Kids initiative.
Hibernian captain Joelle Murray, who also works as the Hibernian Girls Academy Manager through the Hibernian Community Foundation, said: “It’s great that the club can provide supporters with products if they need them at the match, and at the same time support the local community through Hey Girls’ matched donation.
“We want Easter Road to be a welcoming environment for all supporters, and menstruation should not stop our female fans from enjoying watching the team here.
“The club is seeing more and more girls and women involved, be it through attending men’s and women’s matches, coming through our Girls Academy or through involvement in our range of community initiatives.
“If we can break down some of the barriers of what is still a bit of a taboo subject then that can only be a positive for everyone.”
Celia Hodson, Founder of Hey Girls, said: “We’re working really hard to tackle period poverty across the UK, but providing free period products in public places, including in football stadiums like Easter Road, is about something much bigger than this.
“Every woman has a story about getting caught short when they’re on their period. Hibernian are doing a great thing by providing their fans with free period products, because it ensures that anyone caught short can take what they need and carry on enjoying the game in dignity. Being on your period should never be a barrier, and that includes supporting your favourite team at the game.
“More importantly, though, Hibernian are doing a great thing for their local community because for every box used at Easter Road, we match it with a donation to one of our partners in the community. We think it’s a win-win partnership.”
Ellie Hutchinson, Strategic Implementation Manager at Canongate Youth said “We’ve been working in partnership with Hey Girls for about a year, as when we asked young women accessing our services about period poverty, 73% had either shoplifted or known someone who had shoplifted sanitary products, and 73% had also known someone or had themselves gone without food to buy sanitary products.
“One young person told us “my friend only had £3 she had to sacrifice her food to buy pads. Like Hibs, we knew we had to do something. We’re really excited to continue our partnership with both Hibs and Hey Girls to make sure that all young people who need to access period products can- for free”
Since launching in January, Hey Girls has donated more than 1.3 million boxes of products to individuals and communities in need across the UK.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HEY GIRLS
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
