Project M

Project M joined forces when they decided to make a difference and tackle a prevalent issue facing many young women and girls.

Annalise, Donna, Lauren, Natasha and Rachel, aged 18-23, came together and began their Key adventure with hopes of tackling Period Poverty. An issue close to their hearts the group felt that with so many young people suffering that it was time for them to stand up and make a change.

The group wanted to think of a creative solution that would help those in real need get access to the sanitary items they needed. After much consideration and a lot of research, the group took inspiration from the simple yet successful C-card, a scheme that gave young people (under 25) free access to condoms.

Project M got to planning their project and working out what they needed in order to make their very own M-Card a reality. They had to search the internet for bespoke card manufacturers, speak to suppliers for costs and negotiate on pricing. With a brilliant idea in tow and a well thought out project, the group headed to panel.

The five young ladies pitched their project with a detailed PowerPoint and their very own period quiz to help get their community panel members thinking about the issue at hand. The panel were blown away by the creativity the young people had shown throughout the development of their project and could see just how far the young people had come in terms of skills and confidence. It was a definite yes, giving the group the go ahead to make the M-Card a reality.

Annalise, Donna, Lauren, Natasha and Rachel designed and purchased plastic M-Card ID badges to hand out to young women in need. They rang local schools and youth clubs to tell them about their project and even contacted local businesses to shout about their project and ask them to consider donating sanitary items for their collection. The project came together quickly and the young women soon found themselves launching the ‘M-Card’ at a celebratory evening for women in Newcastle.

With the M Card, girls and young women from across the region could visit their youth organisation and access free sanitary items including sanitary towels, underwear and more. It has already made a huge difference to the lives of young women and girls and Project M have developed so many useful skills that can be applied in the future.

Their hard work and dedication shone bright throughout their Stage 1 Key Project and this and their enthusiasm saw the girls pick up a Special Recognition Award at The Key Awards 2019. The judging panel were blown away with the unique approach the group took. Creating something new from scratch, Project M really stretched their idea and pushed what they could achieve beyond the limits. We’re very proud of all that they achieved and far they have come during their engagement.

10 Sep 2019