With the cost of living continuing to rise, many people are facing the difficult decision of choosing between essential items like food and period products.

The Pad Project offers a practical solution by providing free disposable and reusable period products – including pads, tampons, period knickers, cups and more.

Funded by The Riverside Foundation with an investment of around £15,000, the six-month pilot will be delivered in partnership with Hey Girls, a social enterprise committed to ending period poverty in the UK and challenging stigma around menstruation.

Their expertise has helped shape a service that is both inclusive and empowering.

The pilot is currently running in Stoke, Thanet, and Tower Hamlets, with discreet and flexible ways for customers to access support.

Riverside customers in Stoke and Thanet can order through their Housing Officer or request home delivery via Hey Girls’ website.

Products are available for those in Tower Hamlets via home delivery from Hey Girls’ site or from the community centres listed below:

• Phoenix Heights Community Centre (140a Byng Street, Isle of Dogs, E14 9AR)
• Virginia Quays Community Centre (35 Sexton Court, Newport Avenue, E14 2DU)
• Barkantine Hall: 12 the Quarterdeck, E14 8SJ)
• Samuda 50p Club (57 Stewart Street, E14 3ZT)
• SELMO Club 55 (101 Stewart Street, E14 3JE)
• St Johns Community Centre (37-43 Glengall Grove, E14 3NE)

Customers can receive up to six months’ worth of products, completely free of charge.

By improving access to essential products, the project aims to ease financial strain and promote dignity and wellbeing in our communities.

Sarah Mitten, Community Planning & Resilience Manager from Riverside, said:

“The Pad Project is about ensuring people have access to what they need to manage their health with dignity and confidence.

“We know from conversations and consultations with our customers that period poverty is having a significant impact, with individuals sharing personal stories of how financial hardship has left them making a choice between clean, safe period products and food.

“This initiative offers practical support that helps ease the strain without compromising wellbeing.

“With the support of a working group, we’ve carefully chosen pilot areas where we can learn the most. By focusing on where we have clusters of homes, we can gather meaningful insights to shape how we support future neighbourhoods with similar initiatives.

“At Riverside, we’re committed to finding sustainable ways to support our communities, and we’re grateful to the Riverside Foundation for funding this pilot and to Hey Girls for their expertise in making it happen.”

Hazel Waddington, Chair of The Riverside Foundation, added:

“The Riverside Foundation exists to fund projects that create lasting change, and The Pad Project does exactly that. Access to period products is a basic necessity for people who menstruate to live with dignity and confidence.

“We’re proud to support Riverside and Hey Girls in delivering something that meets an immediate need while building the foundations for long-term impact in our communities.”

Kate Smith, CEO at Hey Girls, said:

“At Hey Girls, our mission is to end period poverty and challenge the stigma surrounding periods.

“Partnering with Riverside allows us to extend this mission directly into the heart of local communities, ensuring that families and individuals have access to high‑quality period products in a safe and supportive environment.

“Riverside’s commitment to community wellbeing makes them an invaluable partner, and together we are creating lasting change by ensuring no one is held back because of their period.”

For more information, visit our Pad Project page here.