In January 2019, Thame Belles were invited by the Oxfordshire Federation WI to launch their own The Red Box Project in Thame. The Red Box project addresses period poverty - a lack of access to essential sanitary products - for school-age girls. Over the course of 2019, the Belles have collected and donated multiple packages and boxes of sanitary products, underwear and tights. Our Red Box coordinator, Debbie, works closely with Lord Williams School PHS team.
Since OFWI and many other WI's spearheaded this direct action to alleviate period poverty, the UK Government followed the WI's direction and took the bold step of making sanitary products free to every school in the United Kingdom. In October of this year, an independent supplier, PHS, was appointed by the UK's Department of Education, to supply free period products to 20,000 schools in the UK. Once again, a grassroots WI campaign brought about meaningful and impactful change.
Thame Belles continues to support Lord Williams' School through the Red Box Project.
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