James College is providing free sanitary products for students

James College is leading the forefront in tackling period poverty on campus by providing free sanitary products for all students.

In a Facebook post yesterday James College Graduate Tutor, Mark Curran, announced how the college have added tampons and sanitary pads to the sexual health supply drawers.

The drawers are discreetly located in the entrance to James lodge next to the staircase leading to the offices. The draws also contain various sized latex and latex-free condoms, as well as lubricants and pregnancy tests.

Mark Curran told The York Tab the products are not exclusively for James college students but are are for anyone who may need them. He said the initiative for the supplies came from feedback from head of James community Sian Brooks and the success of the sexual health supply draws that the college have had for a few years.

Curran also praised the work of YUSU society Free the Flow, whose aim is to end period poverty and spread positive period awareness, and the successful donation boxes they had across campus toilets last term.

He added that James college are "really proud to be the only college on campus to have its own college supplies box of sanitary products" and he hopes students will feel comfortable using the supplies as they are "deliberately placed in a discreet location."

The supplies boxes were only set up yesterday but Curran has said some products have already been taken. On the Facebook post it was met with a lot of praise: Victoria Cornford called it "Amazing!!" and nearly 70 people positively reacted to the original post.

The college have spent over £200 on sanitary products and are hoping that they are used by students who may need them.

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