Residents can get free period products under scheme

The policy was unanimously backed by all parties showing "how much this issue goes beyond party politics", said Tory opposition leader Heather Williams

A council is backing a fight to help end period poverty by funding a year-long £12,000 initiative to offer residents free environmentally-friendly menstrual products.

South Cambridgeshire District Council said UK-wide social enterprise Hey Girls would distribute the packs on a first-come, first-served basis.

Conservative opposition leader Heather Williams put forward the motion and said it would show "some of the most vulnerable... they have not been forgotten, they are cared for, and we will help them".

Liberal Democrat council leader Bridget Smith said it was a "great initiative which represents a step towards greater health equity and also environmental responsibility".

Liberal Democrat council leader Bridget Smith said "women and girls deserve access to essential period health products without the worry of cost".

The local authority joined more than 80 other councils in the UK when it signed up to the Hey Girls initiative.

Residents would be offered a choice of three period products - washable pads, period pants or reusable period cups.

Celia Hodson, founder and chief executive of Hey Girls, said: “Period products are a necessity, but they are expensive.

"Tight budgets can leave people forced to prioritise other purchases, leaving them without the right period products, without enough period products, or without any period products at all."

The social enterprise said up to 200,000 tonnes of disposable period waste entered the UK's landfills every year, with many entering the sewage system and some ending up in rivers or on beaches.

Ms Smith said: "By offering sustainable alternatives, we’re also helping to reduce the waste associated with single-use period products."

Ms Williams said: "The fact that this received unanimous support shows how much this issue goes beyond party politics.”