Surrey County Council has become the first local authority in England to provide free period products.

The council has partnered with charity Binti International to provide free products in public spaces across the county in a bid to eradicate period stigma.

Tim Oliver, leader of Surrey County Council said: 'I’m delighted this initiative is launching and it’s something we’re very proud to be a part of. Period products should be available to anybody who needs them, and it’s great that Surrey is leading the way in making this a reality.

'We would hate to think anybody would suffer in silence without access to these products for fear of shame or indignity. That absolutely should not be the case, and we hope that this initiative is an important step towards eradicating that stigma.'

Binti International founder, Manjit K Gill, said: 'It’s been good to see organisations raising awareness of period poverty in the UK and offering free pads, especially in the pandemic. However, the provision of free period products satisfies the immediacy of the need, this isn’t a catalyst for change if it’s not partnered with normalising the period discussion.'

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