The UK’s first period charity shop opens in Surrey: ‘It’s long overdue’

Period charity Binti International has launched the UK’s first period charity shop dedicated to ensuring accessibility to menstruation products and information.

The shop opened its doors this week in Walton on Thames, Surrey, where the council became the first in England to provide free period products across 55 sites, including libraries, offices, retail stores, public buildings and places of worship.

Surrey County Council adopted Binti’s Dignity At Work campaign to increase access to products to those who need them and work towards removing the stigma attached to periods.

It comes after a report by Plan International, released last month, found that more than one in four (28 per cent) girls between the ages of 14 and 21 are struggling to afford period products in the UK.

Of the 1,000 girls polled, the report also revealed that nearly one in five (19 per cent) reported being unable to afford period products at all since the start of 2022.

Binti’s new period charity shop aims to provide free disposable period products, and will also hold menstrual health workshops, display menstrual artwork, and sell various types of products including biodegradable and reusable products.

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Manjit K Gill, CEO of Binti, tells The Independent that having a physical space has piqued the curiosity of many passing by the shop, including women and girls of all ages, and some men.

“For us, working at a community level has always been important. Our work with Surrey County Council has been doing so well, so we thought to ourselves, how do we add more value?” she says.

“With the shop, anyone can come in and look at all the types of products we have available and, most importantly, have conversations with us. Girls have been coming in and talking about their periods as though I’m their best friend.

“They’re sharing their emotions, and at the same time, discovering period cups, period underwear.”

She says that among older women who visit the shop, many have said it was “long overdue”.

“They tell me that they can’t believe we finally have this and how fantastic it is to have a women’s charity shop. “

Gill also tells The Independent that inviting people into the space has allowed them to open up about their experiences with menstruation.

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“What I’ve also found is when I meet someone and talk about my period story, I give them permission to tell me theirs, and a bond is created,” she says.

“We all have periods and we just don’t talk about it enough. That’s one of Binti’s goals, to destigmatise periods and provide spaces where we can speak about them openly.”

Gill says that men also enter the shop out of curiosity and ask about the charity’s work.

“When you tell them that one in four girls can’t afford period products, they agree that they should be free. They get it,” she says.

Binti’s Dignity At Work campaign highlights the fact that many women resort to using toilet paper when they get their period unexpectedly and do not have period products at hand.

“When you say it out loud, it sounds quite shocking, but it’s so normal that we don’t even think about how terrible it is,” she says.

The campaign provides discounted period products to organisations so they can be handed out in workplaces and other venues for free.

Mark Nuti, cabinet member for communities at Surrey County Council, says it is “an amazing initiative to ensure no one is left behind in our community”.

“Period products should be available to anyone who needs them, without stigma or shame, so I urge everyone to do their part in period dignity in Surrey and get involved.”

Gill says the charity hopes to open more period charity shops across the country to give more people access to period products.

“Education and delivery of period products is paramount across the country,” she says. “We have so far been successful here, and as we work with other councils and spread our campaign, the hope is we can open more shops in the future.”