AN Urmston girl is trying to help others speak up about their period.

Ten-year-old Martha Lees made small cards with period-related tick-boxes to help girls feel less awkward about asking for help.

Martha’s Care Cards were born when Martha was speaking with her mum, Grace, during the summer holidays.

Grace said: “We were having a casual chat about what Martha would do if we weren’t together and she needed help.

“I was interested to know whether she would be confident enough to ask for help from another adult or a friend.

“The thought of her or any other girls not being able to find the words led to us designing the cards.”

The pair initially planed to make the cards for her friends, but they soon ran out and had to order more.

The year six student at Davyhulme Primary School has distributed almost 1,000 cards to local schools, friends, and people from other communities.

The cards can be requested through the Facebook group, Martha’s Care Cards, and will be sent out free of charge.

Grace paid for the first 250 cards, but they have been able to buy more thanks to donations through GoFundMe.

So far the scheme has received £180 of donations from 23 people.

So far, cards have been posted to all primary schools closest to the family, and 600 cards have just been sent to Flixton Girls’ School.

The team is happy to send them to anyone interested in the idea, and are looking for sponsors to continue the scheme once the money raised through donations runs out.

Grace said: “With many girls starting their periods at a younger age the cards help by being able to request help without having to utter a word.

“Martha’s Care cards have been designed to help empower young women to convey a message when words can be difficult.”

The cards are printed on a simple blue and white background, with the words “I need your help... please turn over” written on the front.

There are five tick boxes on the rear of the card for the user to choose between – asking for a private chat, a sanitary product, to go to the bathroom, a change of clothes, or to say I feel unwell due to my period.

Period poverty is the lack of access to sanitary products, menstrual hygiene education, toilets, a place to wash your hands, or waste management.

Many people believe this is only an issue in other, less wealthy countries, but a fifth of school girls have worn sanitary products longer than they should because of the cost.

Girls have reportedly used toilet roll, socks and newspapers to manage their periods.

According to a poll commissioned by PHS Group, girls are also more likely to miss school because of their periods than colds, flu, or holidays, citing costs and being unable to talk to staff as the main reasons.

Sanitary products in the UK are classed as a “luxury, non-essential item” and taxed at five per cent.

Each woman will spend an average of £4,800 on her period in her lifetime.