Period Pals x Period Power = Period Dignity for All

A new initiative promoting individual responsibility, everyday allyship, and culture change in the community.

Last year, local poet, artist, activist and community leader Adrian Ball (better known as Adey Bee) had a vision for something called The HumanKind Project—a space on the high street dedicated to radical kindness, human connection, and belonging.

It was bold: The idea of transforming an empty shop unit into a hub for marginalised communities. But like many big dreams, unfortunately, Adey had to initially shelve it. It felt overwhelming.

Then I came across a video of a mother teaching her son to be an ally by carrying period products for his friends.  It was then that the idea of Period Pals was born.

“That small act of care sparked something in me. I thought, I could do that too. I began carrying period products and spoke with my mum about the impact of period poverty. She surprised me by saying she’d start adding period products to her weekly shop”.

Together they began to supply period products to a local arts space Adey worked with—no fuss, just kindness.

“Despite what we were doing it was my mum asked a simple question: how would people know I was carrying them?”

That’s where the badge came in, Adey set to work employing his creativity as an artist — they created a clear design with a pad and tampon and the words “I carry period products.” Visible, stigma-busting, and quietly powerful.

“I made a few prototypes and shared the idea online and the response was immediate. People wanted to be part of it. Now, I’m building a founding community of 50 Period Pals. So far, we’re at number six”.

A grassroots movement Period Pals has been designed to complement the incredible work of, Staffordshire-based charity, Period Power, by encouraging individuals to become visible allies in the fight to end period poverty and stigma.

While Period Power focuses on systemic solutions—providing free period products to schools and organisations, and campaigning for menstrual equity—Period Pals supports this mission by promoting individual responsibility, everyday allyship, and culture change in the community.

Each Period Pal badge costs £1.70 to produce, with Adey asking for donations to cover costs. While also looking to find a sponsor so badges can be shared freely and widely.

Period Pals are asked to make a simple pledge: to carry products, start conversations, and support menstrual equity charity Period Power.

Adey says “Period Pals is about small, human-scale acts of kindness that ripple outward. I believe it’s a powerful, practical complement to the systemic change Period Power is leading. I’d love to work together to grow both the movement and the mission.

This is radical kindness, made visible. A badge on a bag. A pad in a pocket. A message that says: you matter, and you’re not alone. We’ve all thought, someone should do something about that. With Period Pals, the message is simple: you can be that someone”.