Coventry City have teamed up with Evans for Everyone to provide free sanitary items to Sky Blues supporters on home matchdays at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
The new scheme begins from tonight’s match against Rotherham United as we mark International Women’s Day.
Coventry City and Evans for Everyone have teamed up on the project as they seek to address the issue of period poverty and accessibility, especially at large events.
The sanitary items will be available for free in all female and disabled toilets in all areas of the Coventry Building Society Arena.
Working in partnership with Evans for Everyone, pads and tampons will be available from newly-installed stands in the toilets.
Evans for Everyone is a discount store, open to the public with no membership required, which has locations in Coventry and also Birmingham. They offer a wide selection of products including food essentials, snacks, drinks, alcohol, homeware, cleaning supplies, pet food and more. You can visit their website at www.evanscashandcarry.co.uk
The hope is that this initiative will reassure female fans that period products are freely available on site, should they require them, and thus remove any potential barriers preventing women from attending our fixtures.
This will also address period poverty, which is described as the inability to properly take care of menstrual needs due to lack of affordability. It is estimated that one in ten girls and young women in the UK are unable to access these products.
Jodie Jones, Head of Supporter Services and Fan Experience at Coventry City, said:
“We are very pleased to be working with Evans for Everyone on this project, which we hope will support our female fans in being able to attend matches with confidence.
“As a Mum to daughters who attend the games with their Dad, it will be nice to have the reassurance that supplies are there, should they or anyone else need them when visiting us on matchdays.
“Hygiene essentials, such as toilet roll, aren’t something that you are required to pay for in public toilets, and I am a firm believer that women should also have essential sanitary items readily available to them if required.”
Evans for Everyone is a local, female owned business so it is very apt and appropriate that the Sky Blues are partnering with them on this initiative for our supporters.
Sarah-Jane Evans, owner of Evans for Everyone, said:
"As a passionate supporter of Coventry City Football Club and a woman, this initiative holds a special place in my heart.
"I firmly believe that sanitary products, being necessities, should not incur a cost for women. We rely on these items out of necessity, not choice.
"In line with this belief I am proud that Evans for Everyone is able to support this project, especially with International Women’s Day just around the corner."
Tynan Scope, Chief Commercial Officer at Coventry City, said:
“We are pleased to be able to partner with Evans for Everyone as a local business and to be able to offer this to our female fanbase.
“As a father of two girls I am immensely proud that we are doing this as a football club and proud of the passion Jodie Jones has shown in delivering this for our female fans.
“As soon as we spoke with Sarah-Jane at Evans for Everyone it was an immediate yes to working with Coventry City on this initiative – and the timing of this ahead of International Women’s Day couldn’t be more perfect.”
