Period packs provided to support student sports participation

Teesside University is teaming up with eco-friendly period care brands to help support students in sports participation.

Period kits are being provided for use by the University’s sports clubs when competing in away fixtures, to help reduce anxiety and stress around periods when involved in sport.

Launched as part of the University’s Period Dignity campaign, the goal is to help reduce anxiety and stress around periods, by promoting the period kit bags for students when performing away fixtures and to help encourage continued female sports participation.

Vik Brown, Student Lifestyle Advisor in the University’s Student & Library Services, said: “This initiative is a great addition to the University’s period dignity campaign and we are hoping this will increase sports participation as well as reduce anxieties and stresses around periods and menstrual health concerns.

“We want our students to feel supported on and off campus. Especially when they're representing Teesside University. The aim is to break down barriers in women’s sport and encourage sports participation.”

Vik added: “Most young girls have grown up avoiding sport during their periods and excusing themselves from PE lessons. In some cases participating in sport and exercise can reduce period pains and other uncomfortable symptoms. We hope to break stigmas around menstruation health, as well as barriers."

Samantha Soto Pupillo, a second year LLB (Hons) Law student, who captains the University’s volleyball team, is among students helping to promote the scheme.

She said: “Having period kits available within sports teams is such a positive idea. As an athlete, the last thing you want to be worrying about before or during a fixture is whether you have everything you need if your period starts unexpectedly. This is especially helpful for away fixtures, where you are travelling and may not have easy access to period products.

"Knowing that the kits are there provides extra reassurance and means students can focus in taking part in their sport rather than worrying about their period."

Will Jones, Head of Sport at Teesside University said: "Period products are available across many buildings across our campus, to help provide support and comfort for anyone who might need them.

"The addition of the period kit bags continues that support for students going away from campus to take part in sport. There are away fixtures for many clubs each season, as students travel to compete against other universities and we can't assume every campus they attend would have the same provision as ours.

"By offering each team a small period kit bag to take with them, placed discreetly in their larger kit bag that they will take with playing kit in, this hopefully provides further reassurance and support to students that should they need any items while taking part in an away fixture, to help support them in in their sports participation."

Samantha, who works as a student receptionist in the University’s Olympia building, was recently presented with a Teesside University Volun-tees Gold Award for completing 157 hours volunteering with Teesside Sport as a Sports Leader for the volleyball teams, helping to ensure fixtures and training sessions ran smoothly by organising equipment, recruiting players for both the women’s and men’s teams, and completing score sheets after games.

She said: “Being involved in volunteering has helped me to develop valuable skills in leadership, teamwork, organisation, communication, and management skills.”

Samantha added: "I’ve been involved with the university volleyball team for the past two years, and being part of the club is a really important part of my university experience. Alongside playing and captaining the team, I’ve also been involved in the Sports Leader programme alongside my work within Olympia, which has given me an opportunity to see both the sporting and administrative sides of university sport.

"Alongside sport, I’m keen to make the most of the opportunities available to me during the final year of my law degree, particularly gaining further practical experience within the legal sector. I hope to continue building on these experiences and pursue a career as a solicitor.”

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