A team of women in Dartford have joined together to help women who cannot afford tampons by setting up a Red Box Project in the area.

The Project, which is a national initiative, was already up and running in Maidstone before Kelly Grehan, 38, and Sarah Crook, 40, decided to bring it to Dartford.

The aim of the Red Box Project is to eradicate period poverty, which highlights the number of women who cannot afford sanitary products. On its website, the Project says it aims to: "quietly ensures that no young woman misses school because she has her period."

It describes itself as "100 per cent community driven" and run by women up and down the country. It was started in March 2017 by three friends who wanted to combat period poverty.

Mrs Grehan and Miss Crook are both school governors, which they say alerted them to the problem of period poverty in Dartford.

Speaking to News Shopper, Mrs Grehan said: "Asking someone for food hasn't got the shame associated with it compared to if you asked someone for a tampon.

"If you were bleeding, it would stop you from going to school. In terms of self-worth, when you feel dirty it really impacts your self-esteem."

Mrs Grehan and Miss Crook, who have been running toiletries collections for refuges for some time, decided to take charge of a Red Box Project in Dartford to tackle the issue.

They are calling on people in the community to lend a hand to the Project, by either offering their businesses as drop-off points for tampons and sanitary towels, or making donations.

Since the project was announced, the pair have managed to secure nine drop off points at the following locations:

Sally Sue's Sandwich Bar -Vincent Road

Pet and Garden Supplies - Colney Road

Stone Pharmacy/Nisa - London Road

Nisa - The Brent

Stephen Oliver Studio and Gallery - Orchard Shopping Centre

Healthy Living Centre - Temple Hill

St Michael's and All Angels Church - Wilmington

St Mary's Church - Greenhithe

Stone Pavilion - Hayes Road

Mrs Grehan told News Shopper she hopes women in Dartford will join the fight to end period poverty by encouraging colleagues and friends to collect sanitary products and take them to drop off points.

"I can just imagine a girl bleeding through her skirt at school," she said.

So she and Miss Crook are planning to work with school nurses to offer sanitary products to students who are unable to afford them. Any young woman on her period who cannot afford sanitary products should be able to speak to her school nurse and discreetly ask for a red box.

Mrs Grehan told News Shopper she hopes everyone will get involved in the project by making donations and "doing their little bit to contribute."