PERIOD poverty affects more young women than you think.

With most girls taking a quick trip to Boots for granted, others will miss days of school for every month because they don't have the suitable protection to help them through the school day.

The average cost of a period is £10 per month, for adequate pads, tampons and pain relief and while this might not sound expensive to some, more and more young, disadvantaged women are falling victim to period poverty.

The Red Box Project was launched to provide period products in schools so that girls had access to free materials and not miss out on their education.

Warrington's coordinator Sam Higgins, from Padgate, is calling on members of the community to get involved by donating products in the red box or by having a red box in their workplace for employees and members of the public to donate to.

The donated sanitary products, spare pants and paper bags are then put into schools to ensure no girl misses school or faces embarrassment because of her period.

The Red Box Project has been running in Warrington since July and there are more than 440 boxes in schools across the country.

When full, each box has approximately 30 packs of sanitary towels and tampons, plus some pants, bags and posters to let girls know about the project.

Currently, Tesco on Winwick Road has agreed to be a donation point by placing a large red bin inside its store for customers to drop off products.

The project is run on community kindness in a similar way to foodbank donations and Sam, a mum-of-10, is relying on shoppers to add just one item of sanitary protection to their list.

If you would like more information about the project or learn how to get involved, contact Sam through The Red Box Project Warrington Facebook group or email redboxprojectuk@gmail.com.

Companies wanting to get involved can request a red plastic box which Sam will come and empty when needed. The project would promote your business as a drop off point and include details on their Facebook page.