Women receive health help and hygiene products – from Hope
One of Britain’s leading female health campaigners made some house calls to disadvantaged women’s groups in Rochdale – in a campervan!
Dr Anita Sharma dispensed feminine hygiene products across the borough to women forced to choose between caring for their health – or feeding their families.
And she was able to get the aid out to the girls, thanks to social enterprise Upturn, who transferred the good doctor and what she described as, “a garage full of gifts” in their brand-new vehicle, Hope on Wheels.
“A fifth of British women are facing a monthly battle to afford to care for themselves” said Maria Williams, co-founder of Upturn which works to find education and employment for disadvantaged people. “This is something we have heard day-to-day and is actually one of the reasons we fought so hard to fund Hope. We want to bring practical help to those at the margins and in this case are providing what should be a basic necessity.”
The products were donated to Dr Sharma over time by people such as Carl Roach Development Manager at the Lighthouse Project, because of her role as founder of the Endometriosis Awareness North campaign. Determined to ensure they got to the right families, she simply did not have the capacity to transport them – until she hooked-up with Upturn.
Hope managed to make it to:
- Kashmir Youth Project, Belfield Road, Mayfield, Rochdale
- The Sanctuary Trust Champness Hall homelessness charity, Nelson Road
- Petrus (Broadfield park) homelessness charity Great George Street
- Women’s refuge WHAG - Drake Street.
- The Stepping Stone Projects, Green Lane, Heywood
Upturn’s knowledge of the good causes ensured that Dr Anita got a warm welcome and led to her planning health education sessions at the charities, soon.
“When I learned of the need there and lack of awareness around services and certain conditions, I knew I could not just stand back” she added. “Women’s health has been left on the shelf generally and period poverty along with the menopause, endometriosis and lack of cancer screening should give us great cause for concern.”
Upturn is now planning further work with Dr Sharma and a local beautician who have been collecting clothes for the homeless.
“While men’s average life expectancy has risen, women’s has stagnated, and many conditions are not being researched or treated in the way that they should” concluded Maria Williams. “At Upturn, we want everyone to be able to attain their best life but how can they do that if they are hampered by bad health?
As Michelle Obama once famously said: “Every girl, no matter where she lives, deserves the opportunity to develop the promise inside of her.”
And that’s what we want to see in Rochdale!”
