Members and supporters of local sports clubs will be able to access free period products through a new £50,000 Scottish Government fund.
sportscotland will work in partnership with sport governing bodies, with up to 500 clubs set to receive grants to provide products.
By supporting clubs to offer free products to participants and visitors, the fund will support the Scottish Government’s aims to widen the availability of products beyond education and public sector settings.
Commenting during Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week, Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “Since 2018, Scotland has led the world in tackling gender inequality and reducing the stigma of periods by increasing the availability of free period products.
“These grants will increase the provision of free products for players and visitors within hundreds of sport clubs.
“Leading an active lifestyle can improve your health and wellbeing and being a member of a local sports team is a great way to keep fit.
“We want more people to participate in sport and physical activity and don’t want a normal thing such as having your period to get in the way. Providing free products means no one has to miss out.”
Included
Jacqueline Lynn, head of school and community sport at sportscotland, said: "Sport has a positive impact on people and communities and sportscotland wants to ensure sport is accessible to all. These grants will help clubs across Scotland ensure all members feel included, comfortable and dignified when they take part.
“As we mark Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week, it is important we continue to celebrate female participation across our world-class sporting system and make sure everyone feels they belong and are welcome to participate in club and community sport.”
Up to 500 sport clubs affiliated with sportscotland will be provided with £100 grants to allow them to provide free period products to their members, participants and visitors.
Boroughmuir Blaze Basketball Cub, based at the Crags Sports Centre in Edinburgh, is one club that will benefit from the scheme. The club has doubled its female membership in the last year.
Comfortable
Sammy Brown, a young Boroughmuir Blaze player turned coach, welcomed the idea. She said: “You’re not always prepared so just having free products there that you can help yourself to means it doesn’t really matter, you don’t have to worry and can just feel comfortable to go the toilet and it’s fine. It makes the club a more girl friendly place – it shows the club is open to girls and understands there are some issues for girls that are different to boys.”
Boroughmuir Blaze Basketball Club chair Ally Reid, said: “Blaze actively promotes and develops our rapidly growing female membership with four squads, and a new women-only pickup basketball session at The Crags Centre every week, in addition to our regular open sessions and camps.
"We want all of our players to feel at home, included, comfortable and dignified when they play sport, and this new fund will help us continue to champion this inclusive environment.”
Find out more
- Learn more about Active Girls
- Find out about basketball
