Superstars: Freedom Flow

For their social action project, Sophie and Team Freedom Flow were inspired by Amika George, who, after learning that young people around the country were using newspapers, toilet roll and socks to cope with their periods, and even missing school every month, started #FreePeriods, a campaign to end period poverty in the UK. (Check out our episode of Youth Rising with Amika, here!)

Team Freedom Flow wanted to do something similar in their community. Sophie said, “We chose this important cause because people who menstruate have no choice for whether they want to or not, so why should they have to suffer every month because of it?”

The team decided to raise money for both Freedom4Girls - a charity who work to support those who menstruate and challenge stigmas by providing education, period products and financially sustainable options - and Transform Housing & Support - who help homeless and vulnerable people transform their lives.

“We brainstormed ideas on how to raise money and decided to do a bake sale, a raffle and a sponsored 10km walk” said Sophie. And, they set up social media accounts on Instagram and TikTok  - gaining over 100 followers in just two days! - to document their time, help spread the message, and find more ways to raise funds.

In preparation for their sponsored walk, the team decorated plain white t-shirts with a logo they created and messaging about what they were doing. They also created leaflets with information about period poverty to hand out to the public. For Sophie, this was the most challenging part. She said, “It can be quite nerve racking to speak to the public because you never know what their reactions are going to be like, however, it challenged us and improved our confidence.”

And while COVID-19 restrictions meant that the team had to cut their NCS journey short by two days, they still raised a whopping £669, which they split 50/50 between Freedom4Girls and Transform Housing & Support. Their money will be able to provide resources for people who struggle to afford period products and help change lives for the better, forever. For Sophie, this is the best part, as she said, “even to say we’ve helped at least one person means a lot!”

WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHERE YOU ARE?

Want to carry out some social action in your community but aren’t sure where to start? Take a look at a Changemaker group near you...

And if you’ve already taken part in a social action project that you’re proud of, let us know! Tell us all about it here.