On The Ball – Update

On The Ball – Update

If you follow us on social media, you might have seen our support for On The Ball – a UK-wide campaign set up by fans to supply free period products at football grounds.

Started at Celtic by a group of passionate fans, there are now 46 clubs signed up, from Premier League rivals Liverpool and Everton to non-league clubs such as Curzon Ashton and Altrincham.

The board of the Cherries Trust are keen to add AFC Bournemouth to the list. Right now, the club are focused on supporting their local foodbank, but we see the value of having them available in the ground. We put our heads together and thought – if they can’t do it right now, why don’t we?

We’re proposing to use £100 of Trust reserves to start a supply of free products throughout the ground, but we want your support.

However you feel about the idea, please get in touch.

Why are we doing this?

Period poverty is a major issue. That’s why so many clubs have already chosen to support the campaign. One in 10 girls or women aged 14-21 have at some stage been unable to afford sanitary products. It’s a real issue.

One comment the campaign hear a lot is ‘if you can afford a ticket, surely you can afford this’. It’s not just about affordability. We want AFC Bournemouth to be as inclusive as possible and if that means making matchdays a bit easier for a key segment of our fanbase, we’re in.

How you can help

1. Get in touch – however you feel about the campaign let us know by emailing enquiries@cherriestrust.co.uk (mailto:enquires@cherriestrust.co.uk)
2. Spread the word – we’re still a relatively new Trust. Get the message our as much as you can.
3. Give what you can – once this is up and running, please feel free to bring along items to add to the boxes at the ground.

PS: If you run a business or know of someone who might want to sponsor this, please get in touch.