Councillors have praised continued efforts to provide free feminine hygiene products across North Lanarkshire.
The council has been working to provide sanitary items and support period dignity as part of a Scotland-wide effort which began in 2018 with funding from Holyrood, with these services being extended to schools as of 2019 and subsequently rolled out to various community venues in order to combat problems relating to poverty.
An annual update on this work notes significant increases in the number of period products being provided to North Lanarkshire residents, both in schools and through public buildings and the council’s partner organisations.
This provision continues to be guided by consultation from several community organisations and the council also produces specialised marketing materials to raise public awareness, most recently with a campaign which launched in October, which involved bus adverts, posters, plasma screens at various venues, local press and an animated video shared on social media platforms.
A dedicated project officer was also recently appointed, and their focus is on looking at ways to further increase uptake of these free products, as well as piloting various projects with an emphasis on schools.
Reviews and analysis of the service are also ongoing to find ways to deliver further improvements.
The work described in the annual report was acknowledged and endorsed by the council’s communities committee, with several members also commenting positively on the progress made so far.
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