Period dignity

As Teesside University is recognised within the UK for supporting period care, we have been asked to trial the Egal product pads on a roll. We’re the first university within the North-East to gain access to it.

The product is a plant-based period pad which snaps off a roll just like a piece of toilet paper. Just like the TOTM products, no chemicals are used in the production of the product and the only wastage is the piece of paper you peel off the back. That means there’s no health risks to our bodies or damage to the environment.

There will be ten stainless-steel roll dispensers for the pads on a roll in the following on campus toilet facilities:

• Student Life, second floor gender neutral toilets (6 cubicles)
• Library, ground floor, female toilets (4 cubicles)

We ask that they are used respectfully and that you complete the feedback survey when using the product. This will help Egal further develop this groundbreaking initiative and Teesside University assess the value it would bring to the period dignity campaign.

Teesside University has focussed on making period care more sustainable and have successfully delivered two talks with the support of TOTM (a leading company championing period comfort with organic, sustainable products). Attendees were offered a free menstrual cup at the talk.

The School of Health & Life Sciences funded a study within NHS placement degree pathways students who completed a survey about how they felt the cup supported their period care. The purpose of the study was to demonstrate a more sustainable way of supporting period care and to give students who don’t access campus the same period care support as students on campus. The end goal being that the University offers menstrual cups to every student that enrols. This will reduce the need to keep increasing the product provisions within toilets and it will give our students period care for the next ten years. This initiative feeds into the University’s bid to become a net zero university by 2050.

Student & Library Services invested in cups for students as part of finance week, holding a talk with a TOTM representative about the cup the environmental, financial and personal health benefits.

Sheila Peterson from the National Council of Women and ambassador from the charity Days for Girls donated a number of cups. The cups can’t be given out in some areas of the world they support in period care, so they kindly donated them to the University.

To improve education and awareness around periods and other health-related issues that are linked to them, the Period Dignity campaign has been collaborating with Sammi Raye from Endometriosis Hartlepool. This charity-run organisation aims to empower those suffering with endometriosis with the right knowledge and tools that can support them on the pathway to a diagnosis. Research published in March 2024 by Endometriosis UK, found diagnosis time can take an average of nearly nine years.

Meanwhile a person can be in debilitating pain with no treatment in place. For our students trying to balance studies, work and life – it’s not great to think they could be also dealing with debilitating pain as well as the stress and anxiety from unanswered questions regarding their health.

Sammi has attended our Intersectional Pride event in May and our Wellbeing Welcome event as part of the Student Life Festival. She brings her tens machine to help people to better understand what is menstruation/period pain and what is an underlying health condition. We are looking to do more work with Sammi to promote education and awareness across campus.

Sammi said, 'I am a support group leader for Endometriosis UK; and a Teesside University student and have lived experience of endometriosis. I am a mature student and understand the struggles that come with daily life and trying to manage symptoms during a flare-up. I have set up support in Hartlepool for women and those assigned female at birth to meet weekly who need support or social time. I like to prioritise mental health for women+ who are struggling with this condition. I also run a zoom support group virtually every Wednesday evening for those who aren’t local to Hartlepool and are still in need of support. You can contact me for more information on samanthareayvolunteer@endometriosis-uk.org or EndometriosisHartlepool@gmail.com.'

Zoom support sessions run weekly on Wednesday evenings and you can sign up through Eventbrite for free. We also meet weekly on a Sunday evening in person 6.30pm - 8pm at the Women's Health Hub Hartlepool inside the Arches Shopping village at 79 Park Road, Hartlepool, TS24 7PW.

If you would like to get involved in the work we are doing, you can become a volunteer (via Volun-tees), educate yourself and/or support others around you in period care.

The period dignity campaign was set up under the ethos of improving equality within society for those who menstruate, as there can never be full equality for those who menstruate or endure related health conditions if there is no support in place to reduce constraints that menstruation inflict on over half the population within the UK.

This includes those who struggle with incontinence and/or have to wear stoma bags. These issues affect a wide range of people within society. According to Prostate Cancer UK, 10% of males in the UK are believed to have some sort of incontinence (ie, close to half a million men who are suffering from some degree of incontinence or issues that require the use of pads or bags).

In 2018 an estimated 14 million people in the UK live with bladder problems. 6.5 million people have a bowel-control problem. And it's estimated that over 900k children and young persons are also affected (NHS, 2018). Urinary incontinence affects 2-3% of teenagers and 1.15% experience soiling (Whale et al, 2018). A systematic review found a steady rise in the prevalence of male incontinence, from 5% in younger males (19-44 years).

Like periods, these health issues aren’t spoken about within society, meaning more people struggle to reach out for support or to go out within society. Due to these type of health problems, students have struggled to attend campus. Others have had loved ones miss their graduations.

To tackle the issue and improve the inclusivity within Teesside University, larger sanitary bins have been placed in some of the gender-neutral bathrooms within Student Life and the male toilets in The Curve.

The Period Dignity campaign would like to keep making improvements to improve equality for everyone within our university community.

If you would like to support this campaign including raising awareness, or have bins added within your Schools/department, please email Vik Brown: victoria.brown@tees.ac.uk.

Vik Brown, Lifestyle Student Adviser and Period Dignity Campaign lead has successfully and impactfully promoted the campaign across campus and beyond, including:

• winning the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management) award in 2024: and the news item that went out about it after we won: Partnership addresses period poverty.
• a blog for TOTM about the campaign’s journey at the University.
• the Teesside Uni blog promoting the cup study and giveaways across campus.
• a video for the talk delivered for the Healthy Universities Network around the campaign.
• collaboration with MIMA led to a Pop-up art exhibition to promote the campaign through the students’ artistic talents which represented their feelings on periods. Three pieces were commissioned focusing on how our international students feel around periods, coming from countries where they aren’t spoken about or perceived as something shameful.
• presentation to Middlesbrough Council and primary school children for International Women’s Day.

For International Women’s Day 2026 the theme of Give to Gain highlighted the power of collaboration, kindness, and investment in others to accelerate gender equality.

The campaign aimed to emphasise that by giving time, resources, education, knowledge, and support, we can create a more inclusive community. One where women and girls can thrive, and everyone benefits.

To mark the day, Vik Brown, the University’s Period Dignity Campaign lead, celebrated their working relationship with Oxford Brookes Menstrual Equity Campaign lead, Electra Dottin, by hosting a talk with menstrual equity and period poverty activists, Vivi Lin and Dr Maria Tomlinson. The talk included an art exhibition in the library and an array of health and wellbeing services.

The event was a huge success. You can hear more from Maria and the interventions they have delivered within primary schools to reduce stigma and increase menstrual equity within primary school children. And discover how Vivi tackled period poverty across Taiwan, and her success has gone global, with the only Period Museum in the world.
Menstrual Equity Activism, Research and Social Impact talk

Enjoy the powerful art produced by Teesside University students and staff. The art reflects how a person feels when they’re menstruating or managing menstrual-related health issues.

Event feedback evidenced that people felt inspired to make a difference within their local communities to different possibilities and opportunities. They felt less alone in their health struggles. Endometriosis Hartlepool offered guidance and support to potential endometriosis sufferers; and increased menstrual allyship with the opportunity to experience period pain/discomfort via a tens machine.

The student volunteers from Volun-Tees, who supported in organising and putting this event together, were inspired to create further outreach to their fellow students. Lucy and Sandhya put together A Guide To Menstrual Health For Students By Students; and presented their findings at the Student Success Conference.

The Period Dignity Campaign started in 2021 to end period poverty within Teesside University and the local community. Five years on and its now raising menstrual equity and creating opportunities for students to work with researchers and charities, not just nationally but internationally. The collaborations from this event have become stronger and talks will be taking place, so watch this space...

If any students would like to follow in Lucy and Sandhya’s footsteps, register with Volun-Tees and the Period Dignity Campaign and we will be in touch. We couldn’t do this without your fabulous support.