Staff and students at Hereford Sixth Form College have clubbed together to make a large donation to the city's Red Box Project that will see them sponsoring Red Boxes in eight locations across the city.

Red Box is a charity set up to help end period poverty. It provides boxes filled with free menstrual products, pants and tights, in schools and youth clubs where young people can access them without prejudice.

Hereford's locations include including the Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School, Wigmore School, the Cadets and the Aconbury Centre.

The charity has been championed by the College Christian Union and the Student Representative Council, who have been raising awareness and arranging fundraising activities to support the cause.

Sam Marsh, who runs the Hereford branch of the Red Box Project, said: "I am so moved by the support from the college. Their donation will enable us to purchase and fill eight new boxes, and any remaining money will go towards replenishing key stock items."

Lana Silk, Chaplain to the college said: "Friday, March 8, marked International Women's Day. There has never been a better time to raise awareness for issues that hold women back from living their lives to the full.

"At the college the students were keen to do something practical to help their local community."

Period poverty is not confined to the third-world – a study among 14-21 year old girls and young women in the UK, found that 1 in 10 have been unable to afford sanitary protection; 49% have missed an entire day of school because of their period, of which 59% have made up a lie or an alternate excuse.

To find out more about the Red Box Project, visit Facebook: Red Box Project Hereford or Twitter: @RedBoxHereford.

Email redboxprojecthereford@outlook.com if you know of a school, college or youth-oriented community project that would benefit from having a box, or if you would like to be a donation point.