Inspirational mum and 'period coach' appeals to Burnley gyms to provide free essential products for women as price hikes start to bite

And Sam Wright is leading by example by providing free period products at her own business, the BEST Centre sports facility in Hapton which she has owned and run with her husband Darren for the past decade.

Sam said: " Burnley Football Club also have free products in their toilets. It doesn't cost a lot for businesses and women will only take what they need.

"I wanted to make an appeal to all Burnley gyms to remove their charge vending machines in the toilets for period products. Due to the energy crisis, food costs and inflation hike, a lot of people are going to be hit hard with fuel and food poverty over the next year and they will looking to gyms to help them cope with the stress.

"It's going to be an uphill struggle and period products are put at the back of the line and they are just as important as food.

"You don't see the females using toilet roll, old socks and T-shirts in normal every day passing. But just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's not happening."

Since she launched her project Health and Hygiene in 2020 Sam has sent out 30,000 'pamper packs' including a consignment to the Ukraine.

Sam sprang into action after hearing the shocking statistic that 137,700 girls in the UK miss school because they cannot afford or don't have access to essential sanitary product

The project was launched from the BEST Centre. Also home to Burnley Gymnastics Club, coaches, children and their parents have all played a role in supporting the project through donations and helping to put the packs together.

The packs, funded by a National Lottery grant, contained sanitary products and items such as a body spray, facemask or mini lip gloss, mascara and other items to provide a confidence boost.

It was the heart breaking stories that Sam has heard while handing out the packs, including women having to use newspaper, socks and old t shirts instead of sanitary products, that made her realise how desperate the need is, for both products and education about periods.

Downcast after she was turned down for a series of grants to move the project forward, Sam refused to give up and came up with the idea of becoming a 'period coach.'

From September last year, Sam goes into high schools across East Lancashire, to run workshops showing students how to use sanitary products.

Schools pay Sam and a portion of the money goes towards buying in sanitary products for women who need them.

Sam is continuing her campaign to lobby the government to make sanitary products free for all females.

And next month Sam will host a gala dinner to raise cash for her community projects and Pendleside Hospice in memory of Danielle Harker, the young Burnley mum who died of bowel cancer earlier this month.

The dinner is on June 25tth at the Longfield Suite at Burnley Football Club, arrival drinks and includes a three course meal with entertainment by Josh Hindle and a charity auction for some fantastic prizes including Commonwealth Games tickets.