A SCHEME has been launched in Whitchurch to help to provide girls with easy access to sanitary products.

The 'red box' scheme involves placing a box inside shops in Whitchurch, into which people can donate sanitary supplies or people who need them can collect for free.

The idea behind the scheme is Helping Hands Whitchurch, with volunteer Sheila Chase liaising with shops to place the boxes.

Currently the boxes are in two Whitchurch shops, Pets 2000 in Watergate Arcade and Costcutter in Green End.

Sheila hope that the boxes will enable girls to have access to sanitary products, even while not attending school where the boxes would normally be places.

She said: "We started it for girls in school who might not have access to sanitary products.

"Schools and other places would have these boxes but with the coronavirus lockdown, girls have no access.

"We tried to see how we can best we can help so I've been out and about with these red boxes.

"Pets 2000 and Costcutter agreed to have boxes inside their store, so girls have a location that they can access themselves.

"It's about making things accessible for these young girls, to let them know that we're still there to help."