Thousands of period products donated through new East of England Co-op partnership

More than 30,000 boxes of period products are being donated to community organisations thanks to a new partnership between East of England Co-op and a social enterprise.

The retailer’s new partnership with multi-award-winning Hey Girls sees free period products stocked in employee bathrooms at all its stores and branches across Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire and its head office in Ipswich. 

Hey Girls operates on a “buy one, donate one” model – meaning every purchase made by its commercial partners is matched with a donation to organisations such as food banks, homeless shelters and refuges.

Organisations throughout the east have joined a network of more than 350 nationwide in benefitting from similar partnerships.

Andy Rigby, Chief Operating Officer for the East of England Co-op, said: “More than 50% of our team here at the East of England Co-op are female and it’s incredibly important to us that we do what we can to support our colleagues.

“We’re proud to be working with Hey Girls, not only to provide free period products for our teams but also for our local communities.

“Through Hey Girls’ ‘buy one, donate one’ model, every purchase made by us is matched with a donation to organisations such as food banks, homeless shelters and refuges.

“This is a really important step for our co-op and we’ll continue to look for more ways that we can do the right thing for our colleagues and our communities.”

Among the local community partners to benefit from the new partnership is Inspire, a Suffolk charity empowering young people to achieve a better future.

Danielle Wright, Centre Manager at Inspire, said: “I am extremely grateful for the incredible partnership we have with Hey Girls.

“By having Hey Girls in every bathroom, we can make sure everyone can focus on learning, playing, and simply being themselves, without worry.

“The tampons and pads are always ready to save the day, and the reusable products are perfect as a longer-term solution for our students.

“Through their community partnership scheme, we’re not just providing period products to those that need them – we're nurturing a community where everyone can thrive."

Daisy Williams, Partnerships and Contracts Manager at Hey Girls, added: “We are thrilled to see the East of England Co-op join the wave of retail businesses introducing period dignity schemes for their staff.

“Having access to free period products can be the difference between a normal day at work and the worst day of your career – and costs nowhere near what you would think.

“Partnerships like this bring us one step closer to improving period dignity and eradicating UK period poverty – so it is brilliant to have such a big local name on side.”

More information on Hey Girls and how to become a partner can be found at www.heygirls.co.uk.