ROMSEY Library has teamed up with the town's foodbank to help women and girls from low-income families to cope with their periods.

On September 17, the Hampshire County Council-run library opened a distribution point for free sanitary products, ensuring the necessary supplies are available to those who might otherwise try to manage without.

Hampshire County Council's executive member for recreation and heritage, councillor Sean Woodward, said the council libraries were becoming hubs of communities.

He said: "A library is a safe, neutral place that anyone can attend without fear of stigma.

"For this reason, and also because of its central location, friendly staff and range of services, the library is an ideal place to host a scheme like this.

"Our libraries are becoming hubs of community activity, where people come for an increasingly wide variety of services."

Anyone who needs the sanitary products can complete an order form from the library, which doesn't ask for any personal details apart from a first name.

The process is kept discreet to encourage people to use the service without feeling judged of drawing attention to their situation.

The majority of the products being made available are supplied by Romsey Foodbank.

By sending the products to the library for distribution, the foodbank said it hopes to reach more of the people who need them most, who will not necessarily be foodbank users.

At the same time, Romsey Library has also become one of Romsey's donation points for non-perishable food products, which will be sent to the foodbank for distribution.

Councillor Woodward added: "Through the 'Tricky Period' initiative, we can support people's health and dignity, while also encouraging even more people to attend their local library, where they can access a wealth of resources, meet new people and take part in activities and courses.

"I hope it will give confidence to people who may be feeling isolated, and introduce them to other services that they will find useful."

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