Free menstrual products are now available across The Dolphin in Poole through a new initiative offering discreet support.
The Package for Milly scheme allows anyone who needs menstrual products to collect a sealed envelope by asking The Dolphin’s security team or visiting the Centre Management Suite on the first floor, helping people access essential items privately while shopping or travelling through the town centre.
Several retailers inside the Poole shopping centre are supporting the initiative, including Poole Central Library, The Body Shop, H and M, New Look and Starbucks, with collection points clearly marked by stickers or counter signs so visitors can easily identify where help is available.
The scheme was first launched this year at Jackson Square in Hertfordshire after its community team identified a growing local need, with national figures from ActionAid UK highlighting that many girls and women struggle to afford or access suitable menstrual products.
Hayley Harris, Community Manager at Jackson Square, said the project aims to reduce stigma and ensure “no one in the community has to go without essential menstrual products because of financial constraints”.
John Grinnell, Centre Manager at The Dolphin, said the centre wants to remain inclusive and supportive, adding that working with partner shopping centres helps extend practical help to vulnerable members of the Poole community.
The initiative is named after Millicent Fawcett, a leading figure in the British women’s suffrage movement.
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