Celia is the Founder and Chief Executive of Hey Girls CIC.  Hey Girls was founded by Celia and her daughters Becky and Kate, with the philosophy that girls and young women should never have to compromise their wellbeing or their health.  Having been a single parent she understands first hand the financial strain of buying sanitary protection when struggling to survive on benefits.  Period Poverty is a first world problem and girls and young women regularly skip school and work because they cannot afford sanitary products.

Celia believes that girls and young women are powerful individuals who care about their health, are passionate about the environment and want to make a difference. She set up Hey Girls to offer a no leak, super comfy, chlorine and bleach free, environmentally friendly product that tackles period poverty in the UK.  All the profits from Hey Girls Buy One Give One Sanitary Pad go straight to help girls and young women in need as for every box sold to a customer Hey Girls gives a box away.  The products are commercial in nature and compete with mainstream sanitary products in stores, supermarkets and online.

Hey Girls health and education objectives allow them to distribute sanitary pads to girls from disadvantaged communities in the UK, in schools via teachers networks and girls groups thus assisting girls to manage menstruation in a way that doesn’t put them at risk of infection. Educational packs and workshops create awareness around the benefits of better menstrual health and help build confidence, self-esteem, improve educational attainments, participation in sports and an increased quality of life.

Date of Award: December 2017