Lower Sixth pupil, Christiane Gontarek, has started the first UK chapter of the international charity PERIOD. This non-profit fights period poverty, tackles the stigma around periods and lobbies for menstrual products in public places as well as the abolition of the tampon tax.
The chapter includes a team of 15 students who spearhead the menstrual movement in the UK. On International Women’s Day, the chapter raised £150 for Bloody Good Period by selling feminist stickers and baked treats to help provide refugees and homeless women in the UK with sanitary products.
In order to raise more funds for Bloody Good Period, Christiane also started Period Equality Together (PET), a period care subscription service. With a loan from the Peter Jones Foundation Tycoon Enterprise Competition, this social enterprise was launched at the beginning of the year. Subscribers within the school community receive a monthly box containing eco-friendly Freda menstrual products as well as a self-care item. Each box raises £2 for Bloody Good Period thus enabling PET to donate £64 per month on a rolling basis. PET has been featured on Freda’s and Gabby Eldin’s (founder and CEO of Bloody Good Period) Instagram pages as well as on The Mavoure newsletter.
In addition to this, Christiane’s work has been picked up by Bloody Good Period as a case study to be included in their fundraising and information pack for schools and organisations.
