The ’Package For Val’ campaign was first trialled at Manchester Central Library last year, but after having been found to have helped “countless” women and girls who sadly endure period poverty across the city-region, it’s now expanded to 18 other libraries in Manchester – including those in Newton Heath, Gorton, and Withington.
The initiative sets out to actively-address the lack of access to menstrual products that many in Greater Manchester are unfortunately facing amid the cost of living crisis.
The package contains two sanitary towels in a “discrete” paper bag, and is supplied to anyone who asks for a ’Package for Val’ at the library counter.
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Free menstrual products are now available at Manchester’s libraries to ‘tackle period poverty’ / Credit: Flickr | Polina Zimmerman (via Pexels)
Posters are now on display in public loos across the region to raise awareness of the scheme.
The wider rollout of the scheme comes after a representative survey of 1,000 young women and girls aged 14-21 by charity organisation Plan International found that one in seven have struggled to afford period products at some point in their lives, and even more shockingly, one in 10 cannot afford sanitary protection on a regular basis either.
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Being funded on a pilot basis by the Council’s Department of Public Health, the rollout of the scheme follows in the footsteps of the much-needed efforts to provide products for free made by several major supermarkets, chemists, and other venues across the UK.
It’s part of a campaign launched by Manchester City Council on International Women’s Day / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
“Women and girls in our city are struggling to afford the basic need and dignity of accessing menstrual products,” commented Councillor Adele Douglas, who is the Deputy Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure at Manchester City Council, as the campaign was launched on IWD last Friday.
“The ‘Package for Val’ campaign in libraries means we can now help women and girls experience what is natural part of life without shame or embarrassment.
“Launching this on International Women’s Day gives us all a chance to not only remember the incredible strides of young women in Mancunian history, but also to begin breaking down stigma and creating open conversation about what period poverty really means for young women and girls.”
Drivers warned of ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter
Emily Sergeant
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ on the roads that could seem them hit with hefty fines as winter rolls around.
Once the temperatures drop, and the days get shorter and darker, fog tends to become a more common weather occurrence around this time of year – but an eye-opening new survey has found that most drivers don’t really how to use their fog lights correctly.
According to guidance from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), fog lights should only be used on British roads when visibility drops below 100 metres, yet the new research by eBay has found that 60% of drivers use their fog lights at the wrong times, and what’s more is that one in 10 say they switch on their fog lights when visibility is less than 300 metres.
48% of drivers who took part in the research admitted that they activate full-beam headlights when it’s dark, regardless of oncoming traffic and other road users.
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter / Credit: Nabeel Syed (via Unsplash)
The RAC says these stats reveal a ‘worrying trend’ among motorists, and have warned that these habits could actually means drivers are risking fines of up to £1,000 and three penalty points on their licence.
If the incorrect usage of fog lights wasn’t bad enough as it is, the new research also found that many Brits say they do not stay on-top of regular car maintenance when it comes to car fog lights, either – with just 15% saying they check them every month, and shockingly, 24% stating they’ve never checked them before.
Due to the ongoing issue of headlight glare, in whatever form that may be, The RAC has found that as many as one in four drivers (25%) who find headlights ‘too bright’ are actually driving less as a result.
“Unfortunately for a lot of drivers, the annual onset of darker evenings coincides with another unwelcome arrival – that of overly-bright headlights that they believe make driving more difficult due to dazzle and discomfort,” explained Rod Dennis, who is the Senior Policy Officer at the RAC.
“While most of us have no choice other than to adapt to driving at night more often as the clocks go back, the fact headlight glare is the leading cause of nervousness underlines it’s a problem that needs tackling.
“At the same time, it’s important to remember that brighter headlights can give drivers a better view of the road ahead, so there’s a balance to be struck.”
Featured Image – Robin the Bird (via Unsplash)
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Police investigation underway following ‘shocking’ arson at Marple Cenotaph on Bonfire Night
Emily Sergeant
A public appeal for information has been issued after a fire was started near a war memorial in Stockport on Bonfire Night.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is currently investigating after officers were called out around 9:50pm on Bonfire Night (Wednesday 5 November) following reports of a group of males near to the Cenotaph in Marple.
When police arrived at the scene, they found that a fire had been started in a bin and wooden pallets had been set alight – with the ground nearby having been damaged.
Neighbourhood officers in Marple are now investigating and are appealing for information in relation to this incident.
The incident has been described as a reckless act that could have ended with more damage and even serious injury.
“The Cenotaph means a lot to the community and incidents like this are deeply upsetting, particularly at a time when we should be honouring the memory of our war veterans,” explained Sergeant Rachel Walton, of GMP’s Stockport East Neighbourhood Policing Team.
“We are working closely with partners at Stockport Council and the fire service to ensure the area is cleaned and restored.
“We want to identify the individuals responsible, and we will have extra high-visibility patrols in the park each evening leading up to the Remembrance Day service on Sunday (9 November).”
This incident is just one of a total of 350 calls related to fire or fireworks that GMP responded to on Bonfire Night, which is said to be an increase from 203 last year.
A total of 27 arrests were made across Greater Manchester, with four weapons and hundreds of fireworks seized.
Emily Sergeant -
13th March 2024 
