Before her first period.
Not after.
Ready Girl reaches girls aged 9 to 13 while there is still time to prepare them, with the products she needs, an illustrated guide she can actually understand, and one trusted adult she knows by name.
The same morning, two different girls
What is happening to me?
Is something wrong?
Who do I tell?
How do I stop my clothes staining?
She is 11, 12 or 13. She is in a classroom, on the way home or halfway through an ordinary day. Nobody prepared her, so the day she remembers is a frightening one.
“My period has started.
I know what to do.”
She has pads within reach and knows how to use them. She knows what her body is doing and that it is normal. She knows which teacher to tell. The day is still ordinary, and she stays in the lesson.
- Who it is for
- Girls aged 9 to 13, before or around a first period
- Where
- Schools, faith groups and community organisations, wherever girls are
- What she leaves with
- A kit, a pocket guide and an adult she can name
Coming soon
Our first 100 kits
The first hundred Ready Girl Kits are being packed now, and we are choosing where they go. Schools, girls’ clubs, faith groups and community organisations can register interest today. Tell us how many girls you work with and where they are.
No cost to your organisation. We will come back to you before the first kits go out.
A kit, not a packet of pads
A girl can own a full packet of pads and still be completely unprepared. Every Ready Girl Kit is built around what she will actually need in the first hour, the first day and the first week.
- Sanitary padsEnough for a full first period, so she is not rationing from day one.
- Panty linersFor the light days at either end, and for the weeks she is waiting.
- A practice padOne pad to open, handle and place before the day arrives, with an illustrated underwear template to practise on.
- Disposal bagsSo a used pad can be wrapped and binned discreetly, wherever she is.
- Personal-care wipes and pocket tissuesFor the times washing her hands properly is not an option.
- A discreet pouchSmall enough for a school bag, a locker or the bottom of a bedroom drawer.
- A golden card, in 1 kit out of 50A prize for her, and a free second kit for a friend or someone in her family. How it works.
- My First Period pocket guideA 20-page illustrated guide, small enough to live in the pouch. Written for her rather than for an adult, and only in the kit.
The most important item in the kit cannot absorb a single drop of blood
Products on their own solve one part of the problem. The World Bank's menstrual health framework is clear that access to products only works alongside information, safe sanitation and a supportive environment. That is why no Ready Girl Kit leaves without the pocket guide, and why every kit is handed over inside a session, never dropped at a school gate.
The free guide
A free, printable version of the Ready Girl guide: the essentials on a single sheet, for any girl who cannot wait for a kit. Illustrated with girls who look like the girls reading it. No euphemisms, no shame, nothing she needs an adult to translate.
Read a page
Inside every kit is the My First Period pocket guide: 20 pages, sized to sit in the pouch beside her pads. The free guide above covers the essentials on one sheet; the pocket guide takes its time, and it is hers to keep.
Period poverty becomes education poverty
Not being able to manage a period is rarely only about money. It is money, plus silence, plus a toilet with no door, plus nobody ever having explained what is happening.
People who lack what they need to manage their period safely and with dignity.
World Bank, menstrual health and hygieneGirls in the UK aged 14 to 21 who have been unable to afford menstrual products. Where incomes are lower, the share is higher.
Plan International UK surveyThe age range in which a first period can arrive. Preparation cannot wait for a birthday.
Ready Girl guideProducts, information, safe sanitation and a supportive environment. Menstrual health needs all four. Most programmes fund the first.
World Bank frameworkThe barriers repeat
The same obstacles turn up wherever the question is asked: the cost of products, menstrual stigma, toilets without water or a door, and gaps in what girls are told before it happens. UNICEF and the World Health Organization link these directly to missed lessons: girls staying home rather than risk a stain, or improvising with rags that leave them anxious all day.
What actually changes it
Across very different countries, the same thing works: girls who get menstrual education alongside products describe a different experience, and often go on to explain it to other girls. That is the pattern Ready Girl is built on. Prepare her early, equip her properly, give her someone to ask.
Sources: World Bank menstrual health and hygiene framework and briefs; UNICEF guidance on menstrual health and hygiene; WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme on water, sanitation and hygiene in schools; Plan International UK survey of girls aged 14 to 21.
How a Ready Girl session works
Kits are given to named girls inside a short online session, so products arrive with knowledge, not just dropped at a school gate.
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1
We agree a group
A school year group, a church or mosque youth group, a community organisation's girls' club. We work with whoever already has the girls' trust.
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2
The session
15 to 30 minutes online: what a period is, how to use and change a pad safely, and when to ask for help. Girls can submit questions privately in the chat or by email.
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3
She practises
With her kit open in front of her, she takes out the practice pad and places it on the illustrated template. The first time she handles a pad should not be in a locked cubicle.
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4
She names her trusted adult
Every girl leaves having named one adult at home and one at school she can go to. Those adults are briefed too, so the answer she gets is the right one.
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5
The kit stays with her
Kits reach the group before the session, so she follows along with hers open. Products, pocket guide and pouch are hers to keep.
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6
We follow up and measure
A short follow-up and a survey: knowledge, preparedness, confidence, misconceptions corrected, product access and school attendance around her period. Partners receive the results.
Register your interest
Tell us what your girls need
Ready Girl is being built with the organisations that will use it, not handed to them finished. Before we decide where the first kits go and what goes in them, we want to hear from the people already working with girls.
If you run a school, a youth or girls’ club, a faith group, a refuge, a community organisation or any other VCSE, register below. There is no cost, no commitment and nothing to sign. You are telling us you exist, and what you are short of.
What we will ask you
- Who your girls areroughly how many, what ages, and where
- What you already doso we add to it rather than repeat it
- What you are short ofproducts, printed material, staff confidence, time
- What would help mostkits, a session, printed guides, notes for staff, or just advice
- Your timescalethis term, next year, or simply keep us on file
Schools
Primary and secondary
Year groups, girls’ clubs, pastoral teams and school nurses. Tell us which year groups worry you most, and what already happens in PSHE.
VCSEs
Community organisations
Youth clubs, women’s groups, refugee and migrant organisations, food banks, refuges. You already know the families. We want to reach them with you.
Faith and youth settings
Groups and clubs
Churches, mosques, temples, Guides, sports clubs and holiday schemes. Often the only place a girl talks to a trusted adult outside her own family.
Partners
Suppliers and volunteers
Manufacturers, printers, translators, facilitators and clinicians. If you can help us make or check something, say so and tell us what you can offer.
What happens after you register
- We write back, usually within a week, with a short set of questions
- Your answers shape what goes in the kit, and the order of the first hundred
- You get the printed resources free, whether or not kits reach you first
- We tell you honestly if we cannot reach you yet, and when we might
What we are not asking you for
We are not asking for money, and this is not a funding application. We are not asking for girls’ names, photographs or any personal details about a child, and we never will. What we want is your view of what is missing where you work.
Questions before you register? Write to hello@thereadygirl.com.
1 in 50 kits
The Golden Ready Girl card
Hidden in one out of every fifty kits is a golden card. The girl who finds it wins a prize, and a second kit, free, for a friend or someone in her family she chooses herself.
It is a small piece of delight in something that is often talked about in whispers. It also does something useful: it turns one prepared girl into two, chosen by the person who knows best who needs it.
- 1She shows a trusted adult
The card says so on the front. A parent, guardian, teacher, aunt or school nurse.
- 2The adult emails us
From their own address, to hello@thereadygirl.com, with the code on the card. We only ever reply to the adult.
- 3We send the prize and the second kit
The prize goes to her, and she tells us who the free kit is for. Delivered through the same adult.
Adults only, please. We never ask a girl for her address or personal details, and we do not correspond with a child directly. If you are a girl who has found a card, show it to an adult you trust and ask them to write for you.
Is she ready?
Eight questions for a parent, guardian or teacher. Nothing is recorded and nothing is sent anywhere. It stays on your screen.
Tick the ones that are already true
You will get a short, practical read on where the gaps are, and what to do about each one.
The hub
Everything you wanted to ask, and nobody explained
Written for girls, not for grown-ups. Open whichever bit you need, in any order, as many times as you like. Nothing here is embarrassing and nothing here is a silly question.
Your body is changing Puberty starts somewhere between 8 and 14, and it does not follow a timetable.
- Your body starts changing a year or two before your first period. Breasts begin to develop, hair grows under your arms and between your legs, you get taller, and your skin and hair can get oilier.
- You might notice a white or clear discharge in your underwear. That is normal, and it is often the sign that a first period is on its way in the next few months.
- Everyone runs on their own clock. Being early or late says nothing about you. If you are 15 and nothing has started, or under 8 and things are changing, that is worth mentioning to a doctor or nurse.
What a period actually is Once a month, your body gets ready for a baby it is not having yet, then resets.
- Inside you there is a womb, about the size of a small pear. Each month its lining thickens in case a pregnancy happens.
- When there is no pregnancy, that lining is not needed, so it leaves your body through your vagina over a few days. That is your period.
- It is blood, but it is not an injury. Nothing is broken and nothing is wrong. It is your body doing exactly what it is built to do.
Your first period It usually arrives quietly, and it is rarely the flood people joke about.
- Most first periods are light: a brown, rusty or dark red mark rather than bright red blood. Brown is not old or dirty, it is just blood that took its time.
- It can look like a lot, but the actual amount of blood lost over a whole period is usually much less than it seems.
- The first ones are often irregular. You might have one, then nothing for two months. Your body is still learning the rhythm, and that can take a year or two.
How long, how often Count from day one of a period to day one of the next.
- A period usually lasts between three and seven days. The first two are often the heaviest.
- A cycle is usually between 21 and 35 days, and in the first couple of years it can be all over the place.
- Writing it down helps. Once you have a few months on paper, you start to see your own pattern, which is the point of the tracker.
Pads, and how to use one Sticky side down, in the middle, wings folded under.
- Open the wrapper, peel off the paper strip, and press the sticky side into the middle of your underwear. If it has wings, fold them under and press.
- Change it every four to six hours, or sooner if it feels full. Not because it is dangerous, but because it will feel better and smell fresher.
- Wrap the used pad in its wrapper or in tissue and put it in a bin. Never flush it, even the ones that say flushable, because they block pipes.
- Practising once when you do not need it makes the real thing far less stressful. That is why there is a practice pad in the kit.
Other products Pads are the easiest place to start, and there is no rush to use anything else.
- Pads sit in your underwear. Liners are thinner, for light days or discharge. Night pads are longer at the back.
- Tampons and menstrual cups go inside. They are safe to use from your first period, but plenty of girls wait a year or two, and that is completely fine.
- Period pants look like normal underwear and absorb the blood themselves. You wash and reuse them.
- If you want to try something new, ask a trusted adult first. There is no prize for rushing.
Cramps and aches A dull ache low in your tummy or back is common, and there are things that help.
- Cramps happen because the womb squeezes to shed its lining. A warm water bottle or a heat pad on your tummy helps a lot.
- Moving helps more than people expect. A walk, a stretch or gentle exercise often eases it.
- Painkillers can help, but only ever with a trusted adult's say-so, and never medicine that belongs to somebody else.
- Pain that stops you going to school, or that painkillers do not touch, is not something to put up with. Tell an adult and see a doctor.
Staying fresh Warm water is enough. Your body already knows how to clean itself.
- Wash the outside with warm water, and plain soap if you want. Never wash inside your vagina, and skip the scented sprays and wipes sold for it. They upset the natural balance.
- Wipe front to back, every time.
- Wash your hands before and after changing a pad.
- Period blood only starts to smell once it has been sitting outside your body for a while, so changing regularly is really all it takes.
At school A plan turns the whole thing from a panic into an errand.
- Keep a pad and a spare pair of underwear in your bag, in a pouch, all the time. Not just when you expect it.
- Find out now who to ask at school and where the spare pads are kept. Most schools have some.
- Tie a jumper round your waist if you are worried about your skirt, then go and change.
- You are allowed to go to the toilet during a lesson. If a teacher makes that hard, tell another adult you trust.
Sport and swimming You can do all of it.
- You can swim on your period. A tampon, menstrual cup or period swimwear can be used in the water. A normal pad will soak up pool water, so it is not suitable for swimming.
- Running, dancing, football, PE, all fine, and exercise often makes cramps better rather than worse.
- Your energy might dip on the first day or two. Doing a bit less that day is a sensible choice, not a weakness.
Moods and feelings Feeling flat or short-tempered before a period is real, not made up.
- Hormones shift through the month, and for a few days before a period they can leave you tearful, irritable or tired.
- It usually lifts once the period starts. Sleep, food and movement all take the edge off.
- Nobody is allowed to use it against you. 'Is it your time of the month?' is not a joke, it is a way of dismissing you, and you can say so.
- If low mood is heavy, lasts most of the month, or stops you doing things you normally enjoy, tell a trusted adult. That is worth proper help.
Myths, binned Most of what gets whispered is simply untrue.
- You can wash your hair, bath and shower on your period. Of course you can.
- Nobody can tell you are on your period by looking at you.
- Periods are not dirty and you are not unclean. It is blood and tissue, nothing more.
- You do not have to sit out of anything, or eat differently, or stay away from anyone.
- The amount you lose over a period is small, and it does not make you weak or ill.
- Using a pad or a tampon has nothing to do with virginity.
When to tell an adult Some things are worth mentioning, and none of them mean you are in trouble.
- Bleeding so heavy you keep soaking through pads every one to two hours, or it goes on longer than seven days.
- Pain that stops you going to school or that painkillers do not help.
- No period at all by 15, or no signs of puberty by 13.
- Bleeding between periods, or after your period has stopped.
- Anything that frightens you or does not feel right.
- You do not need the words. 'Can I talk to you about periods?' is enough to start.
The questions girls actually ask
Will everyone know?
No. A pad is not visible through clothes, it does not make a sound when you walk, and nobody can tell by looking at your face. The only people who know are the ones you choose to tell.
What if it starts at school and I have nothing?
Ask a teacher, the school office or the school nurse. Schools keep pads, and asking is completely normal. Folded toilet paper in your underwear will hold for the ten minutes it takes to get to one.
What if I leak onto my clothes?
Tie a jumper or cardigan round your waist and go and change. Cold water gets blood out of fabric far better than hot, which sets the stain.
Does it hurt?
Bleeding itself does not hurt. Some people get cramps, an ache low down in the tummy or back, before and during the first day or two. Warmth, movement and rest all help.
How much blood is it?
It looks like far more on a pad than it is. The actual amount lost over a whole period is usually much less than it seems, and it does not make you ill or weak.
Why is it brown and not red?
Brown or rusty blood is just blood that left more slowly, so it has had contact with air. It is very common at the start and end of a period and is nothing to worry about.
My friend started before me. Is something wrong?
Almost certainly not. Most girls start around age 12, though it can happen earlier or later. Starting later than your friends is normal and says nothing about you. If you reach 15 and nothing has started, tell a trusted adult so you can speak to a doctor or nurse.
Can I use a tampon straight away?
Yes, tampons are safe from your first period. But there is no rush at all, and lots of girls stay with pads for a year or two. Talk it through with a trusted adult first.
Do I have to tell my mum or dad?
You do not have to tell anyone. But having one adult who knows makes everything easier, because they can keep you supplied and step in if something is wrong. It does not have to be a parent.
What if I am scared?
That is a very common feeling, and it usually fades once you know what to expect and have your things ready. Knowing what is coming is most of it, and you are doing that right now.
If you are the grown-up reading this
You do not need the perfect words or a single big conversation. Small, ordinary mentions over months work far better, and they make it likely she comes to you when something worries her. Say the words period, blood, vagina and pad plainly, because whispering teaches her it is shameful. Answer the question she asked rather than the one you dreaded. If you do not know, say so and look it up together.
Our facilitator notes and the trusted adult cards are free. Ask us and we will send them. The girls’ pocket guide is at thereadygirl.com/guide, free to read or print.
The resource library
Our printed resources are free. They sit behind a free membership so we know who is using them, can send you the updated versions, and can tell funders how far they have travelled.
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My First Period pocket guideThe guide from inside the kit, online for any girl to read or print. No sign-up, nothing to fill in.Read it
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My Period TrackerA full-year chart for a girl in her first years of menstruating. Twelve months, prints at A3 or A4. Sent to you on request.Request the file
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The free guideAll twenty illustrated panels, printable on A4 for a noticeboard or to hand out.Members only
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Trusted adult cardsSmall cards she fills in with two names, so she never has to work it out in the moment.Request the file
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Facilitator notesSession outline, the private-questions method, and answers to the things girls ask.Request for your team
Preview
Join the Ready Girl Circle
Free membership for parents, teachers, school nurses, youth workers and volunteers. No cost, no catch. Just so the resources reach the girls they were made for.
- The free Ready Girl guide, ready to print
- Print files sent to you on request, without the back and forth
- New resources before they go anywhere else
- One short email a term. Nothing in between.
We keep your name, email and the organisation you gave us, and we use them only to send you resources. Unsubscribe in one click, and we will delete your details on request.
Three ways in
Whether you have one daughter or four hundred pupils, there is a way to make sure the girls around you are ready.
Parents and guardians
Give her the kit before she needs it, and use the pocket guide to have the conversation you may not have had yourself.
- One kit, for one girl
- Pocket guide included
- A short guide for you on what to say
Schools and community groups
A short online session for a year group or girls' club, kits for every girl taking part, and briefed staff who know what to do next term.
- A 15–30 minute online session
- A kit for every girl
- Trusted-adult briefing for staff
- Follow-up and results
Partners and supporters
Suppliers, printers, translators, facilitators, clinicians and funders. Tell us what you can offer and we will tell you honestly whether we can use it yet.
- Register what you can contribute
- We come back within a week
- Open reporting on where everything goes