Bodyform to donate 200,000 packs by 2020 to help tackle UK’s period poverty
2nd May 2017
Bodyform has launched a new three-year commitment to help provide free sanitary protection to women and girls unable to access or purchase products for themselves or their families.
The pledge, which will see Bodyform donate product to HRH Prince of Wales’s charity, In Kind Direct, comes in the wake of recent news reports highlighting that some women and girls are becoming socially isolated due to a lack of appropriate sanitary protection.
“These latest reports are in line with research from our own Hygiene Matters report which found 40 per cent of UK girls have felt that their period has kept them from leading a full and active life at school,” explains SCA’s Marketing Director for Bodyform, Nicola Coronado. “As a manufacturer of these essential products, we feel incredibly moved by this and we see this commitment as the first step in helping to combat these issues. Alongside campaigns such as The Homeless Period, we can overcome the taboo of talking about menstruation while ensuring sanitary products are reaching those most in need.”
The commitment will see Bodyform join forces with In Kind Direct, an existing charity partner of the brand’s manufacturer, SCA, who together have distributed around £1m worth of essential personal care supplies to worthy causes throughout the UK since 2011.
Through its network of 5,000 charitable organisations around the UK, In Kind Direct will help Bodyform distribute 200,000 free packs of its Ultra Normal Wings Towels, providing essential care for thousands of additional women and girls by 2020.
Robin Boles LVO, CEO of In Kind Direct, said: “In Kind Direct distributes everyday essential products to charities across the UK, hundreds of which support women and girls affected by issues such as homelessness, poverty, disability, illness and domestic violence. This very welcome, long term commitment from Bodyform means we will be able to provide more charities with a consistent supply of sanitary products and help many more women struggling to afford this most basic necessity.”
One of the key movements which has helped establish national awareness about the issues faced by homeless women when it comes to menstruation is The Homeless Period. Commenting on Bodyform’s commitment, they said:
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Bodyform. We’ve been overwhelmed with the donations that people have made to the cause. We see Bodyform’s commitment as a huge step towards creating a long term, sustainable solution to the issue.”
Nicola concludes. “Because of the stigma attached to the subject of menstruation we are aware that this could be just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we see this as a long term sustainable commitment. Until we know the full extent of this issue in the UK, we would urge other manufacturers to look at how they can further support this cause so that we can keep increasing access to these fundamental products.”
Bodyform is the UK’s No.2 sanitary protection brand and markets a range of sanitary protection products including Liners and Ultra Towels.
ENDS
For additional information please contact:
Alex Rowe, Account Director, 01353 669939, alex.rowe@myriadpr.com
About Bodyform
Bodyform is one of the UK’s leading feminine care brands. Bodyform is committed to helping women be their best self every day. That’s why every product we create is designed to help stop women holding back. Towels that offer triple protection from leaks; uniquely shaped liners that fit the body’s curves; products that actively care for the intimate area. Our products have been designed to give women the confidence they need in their social and intimate lives every day. Live it. Live Fearless. For more information, visit www.bodyform.co.uk
About SCA
SCA is a leading global hygiene and forest products company. The Group develops and produces sustainable personal care, tissue and forest products. Sales are conducted in about 100 countries under many strong brands, including the leading global brands TENA and Tork, and regional brands, such as Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Nosotras, Saba, Tempo, Vinda and Zewa. As Europe’s largest private forest owner, SCA places considerable emphasis on sustainable forest management. The Group has about 44,000 employees. Sales in 2015 amounted to approximately SEK 115bn (EUR 12.3bn). SCA was founded in 1929, has its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, and is listed on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm. In the UK and Republic of Ireland, SCA Hygiene Products has around 1,500 employees across nine sites, including six tissue production mills. Its regional brands include Bodyform, Cushelle, Velvet and Plenty. Some 65% of Great British households bought SCA branded products in 2015 (Kantar Worldpanel Market Research). For more information, visit www.sca.com/uk
About In Kind Direct
In Kind Direct is one of The Prince’s Charities. In Kind Direct distributes new consumer products donated by some of the UK’s best known retailers and manufacturers to charities working in the UK and abroad. In Kind Direct is a one-stop solution providing the infrastructure to accept large quantities of goods and then stores, sorts and delivers them directly to charities in its network. To date, In Kind Direct has made a powerful impact on communities through the distribution of over £165 million worth of surplus goods from 1,000 companies to 8,000 charities. More information available on the In Kind Direct website: www.ikdlab.com.