A community organisation in Shotts is providing women with deliveries of period products and it’s all for free.
The Cycle, an initiative by Getting Better Together in partnership with North Lanarkshire Council, allows women to order the essential products for females and have them delivered discretely directly to their home by bike.
So far the community-based health initiative, which promotes the education, health and well being of residents with a range of services, has delivered to over 70 households but is looking to reach even more.
Nicola Welsh from Getting Better Together told Lanarkshire Live : “North Lanarkshire Council are giving out free period products at different places and their website lists where the nearest pick up point is for each area.
“In the Shotts area there was a worry almost that it might be difficult for people to get to the locations here that were providing them, with not a lot of people going to the health centre right now and limited opening times.
“So we are delivering to people’s houses by e-bike. The council donated the bikes to us.
“We just ask people to fill out some basic details such as their preferred type of products and address, and our volunteer cyclists deliver to the doorstep on Fridays.”
Recently Central Scotland MSP Graham Simpson got on his bike to help out.
Nicola added: “We have a cycling project at Getting Better Together, where we provide training for kids and adults.
“Graham is very keen on active travel and he comes up on occasion to see how we’re getting on. He’s always very engaged with anything we’re doing with the bikes and decided to give us a hand with the deliveries,
“The take-up has been quite good but we have a target of 150 for the year and just want to get the message out to everybody that the service is available. Not everyone is on social media.
“We usually provide around three months supply at a time, so women aren’t leaving it until they are desperate for them and are covered for a few months.
"Older people who don’t need the products but who maybe have their children or grandchildren staying with them at weekends can also order for them.
"We deliver on a Friday to people in Shotts and the surrounding areas so that’s Salsburgh, this side of Newmains, and Harthill.”
If you would like products delivered you can fill in the form online.
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