TWO students have launched a charity which aims to provide free sanitary products to Torfaen schoolgirls on free school meals in a bid to combat period poverty.

Lewis Bell, 18, and Ben Pugh, 19, came up with the idea of Discrete after watching a TV show on the subject of period poverty, the term used referring to a lack of access to sanitary products.

The Crosskeys College students are currently working with two schools in Torfaen – Abersychan School and Trevethin’s Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw.

“We feel that if this – period poverty – was a male issue, it would have been solved by now,” said Mr Pugh, of Llandenny, Usk.

"It was a small idea at first and then we started to speak to a lot of people about it.

"Within three or four days of the idea, people took to it unbelievably quickly.

"We spoke to our friends about it and we thought they’d laugh and joke about it but after we told them some statistics about it, it really made them think about how big of an issue it is.

"It is not something that would be associated with such a developed country."

Mr Bell, of Two Locks, Cwmbran, said that there was an initial amount of surprise when the pair told others that they were looking into the issue.

"Everyone who we have spoken to about the charity has said “good on you two for trying to do something about it," he said.

"As it has taken off to an extent, people are slowly realising that we are just trying to help people.

"Once people understand that there is an issue associated with period poverty, there is that empathy towards it. It has helped people support us in what we are doing."

Mr Bell and Mr Pugh started Discrete in November, and managed to raise £30 at their college's Christmas fair.

In the past two days, the charity has raised £88, which the pair will invested into buying product.

"We only started the charity in November. We thought that it would be great to start of straight away by contacting all the schools, buy the product and do it," said Mr Pugh.

"But the biggest thing is doing it gradually.

"We managed to get a bit of an online presence, we have a few sponsors and we’ve been in contact with Amika George.

"She has given us ideas on what she’d do and we’ve taken that on board.

"Knowing that people were willing to support the idea financially, with the raffle for example, got the ball rolling."

Mr Bell added: "We said from the outset that we wanted to help out those in need.

"If we can get people talking about it, that’s fantastic. If we can get people thinking about it and seeing that it is a real issue, that’s great."

For details on the charity, go to facebook.com/Discrete-171925533414558/.