I, Daniel Blake and why Loach's message is so important to us: tackling period poverty 

I, Daniel Blake has hit the world by storm. Director Ken Loach is most famously known for his work on the ground-breaking film Cathy Come Home (1966) which raised awareness of the problem of homelessness and provided the impetus for policy change and formal responses to these complex issues in the UK.

This time, he problematises rising rates of poverty in the UK, and highlights the complexities and injustices of the current welfare system. The main characters in the film struggle to feed themselves and their families as well as heat their houses and pay rent. Although fictional, the scenes depicted in the film effectively mirror the current situation of poverty in the UK.

In 2015, it was reported that one in five working parents had to choose between buying food and paying an essential bill (1). Over one million three day emergency food supply packs in the 2015-16 financial year were handed out by the Trussell Trust, the UK’s largest food bank provider (2). This has shot up since 2008-9, when they handed out just under 26,000. Delays and cuts to benefits leave households with little or no income, forcing them to seek emergency help for food. However, the shortage of benefit payments isn’t the only issue: a quarter of those referred to the Trussell Trust’s services struggled with low income and job insecurity coupled with rising costs of living and difficulties accessing working benefits.

No More Taboo is going to work with people in these situations: those who are choosing between putting food on the table and paying their bills, who struggle to meet their needs on a monthly basis, and homeless people who lack access to basic sanitation (see our blog post on the issues of homelessness here). Our aim is for every person to embrace her period, and that menstrual hygiene should not be a financial burden. It’s vital that shelters and food banks continue to receive donations of sanitary products, however, we are not going to run a short-lived donation campaign. We want to generate creative, self-sustaining situations that have a lasting impact over years to come. So here we present to you: the “tackling period poverty” programme. This encompasses two distinct projects working with homeless women and housed women who are struggling financially.

For homeless menstruators, we’re going to work with ten partner organisations across Bristol to set a minimum standard for menstrual hygiene and sanitation, and facilitate the access to sanitary products, toilets and showers. We’re also going to raise awareness of our work amongst homeless women in Bristol so they know about these changes and can seek help when they need. Through this work, we want to create comfortable, taboo-free environments where issues surrounding menstruation can be discussed.

The other aspect to this project is going to be a series of confidence building workshops for people who menstruate, living on low-incomes, addressing topics such as the financial and environmental sustainability of sanitary products, bodies and health, and breaking down taboos surrounding menstruation. We’ll also provide the people who sign up a reusable sanitary product of their choice, which last between 3 to 20 years, meaning that they have a significant reduction of the financial burden of their periods. It’ll give them that extra £5 - £10 a month to spend on food, heating or other bills.

For the programme to be successful, we need your help. This Christmas, we’re offering you the chance to make a real difference to people's lives and menstrual health.

Our tackling Period Poverty package, which will be available on the website for purchase in the coming days, will help to fund our planned projects. For only £10, this would provide*:

·        One place on an 8 week workshop for somebody struggling to meet their financial needs, providing a comfortable   and open space for discussion and learning

·        The provision of a reusable sanitary product of choice

·        Training for our “Period-Friendly” partner organisations to help them understand and support service users on   their period

What you, or the recipient of the gift receives:

·        A handwritten Period Poverty package Christmas card from No More Taboo, explaining what the gift would provide

·        A follow up letter in (approximately) three months’ time showing who the gift has helped

·        A feeling of joy for having helped someone else have a happier period this winter.

*Please note your gift will form part of our “Tackling period poverty in Bristol” project budget and therefore will help to provide the above to a minimum of 40 people and 10 organisations. However, it may not be possible to specify which aspect your gift has been spent on.

We hope you’re excited about this project as we are!

If you want to get involved in any way, contact Shai here. We look forward to updating you on the progress!

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1. Preskey, N. (2015). There's nothing luxurious about my periods, so why is the Government taxing tampons as if there is? The Independent. [Online] Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/theres-nothing-luxurious-about-my-periods-so-why-is-the-... [Accessed 01.11.16]

2. The Trussell Trust (2016). Foodbank use remains at record high. [Online] Available at: https://www.trusselltrust.org/2016/04/15/foodbank-use-remains-record-high/ [Accessed 01.11.16]