Isabelle Chauzy works in marketing. She helps make Bloomsbury Football, the charity she works for, a success. She works behind the scenes. Or at least she did until she started to think about the girls coming to play football and their needs.

Isabelle took the bold step to talk to her employer about periods. She wanted to make them aware that that there could be girls coming to play football who perhaps couldn’t afford period products or who were caught short by their period, they were unprepared. Isabelle wanted to make sure that these girls could play on and created a fantastic programme.

Firstly, she got in touch with ex-Olympic swimmer Hannah Miley. Yes, I did say swimmer but Hannah is now a speaker on how periods impact girls’ sporting performance. No matter the sport, exercise or activity, your period will have an effect on how you do but not everyone knows that. Isabelle wanted to educate the men and women who work with the girls at Bloomsbury so that they can understand what each girl is going through every month.

She needed a sustainable period product brand to get on board. Luckily, she has some friends in convenient places and period product brand Freda got involved.

She had the team she needed to deliver her programme. Coaches received in-person training from Hannah and Freda provided the period wear. As Bloomsbury doesn’t have a club house, the girls each received a Freda drawstring bag containing period products. When they think they’re running out, they go back to their coaches who have extra stock so they need never be caught short again and they can play on.

The coaches appreciate this programme because they feel informed and can talk to the girls more openly about periods, how they’re feeling and how it might be affecting their footy. The girls love it because they feel seen and supported. They know that Bloomsbury has their back each month, and not just for back rubs when they have cramps,and can turn up for training and compete with confidence.

Isabelle and her story have been on Sky News so you might have seen her there. We think this is another fantastic example of how easy it can be to set-up a free period wear programme. Congratulations Isabelle and good luck to all the girls at Bloomsbury!