A BUS has been travelling to schools across Lancashire to help young women feel more comfortable learning about periods.

The Betty for Schools bus visited St James Lower Darwen CE Primary School and Mellor St Mary CE Primary in Blackburn as part of a UK tour.

During visits, girls took part in one-hour sessions with trained facilitators helping explore how periods can affect them both physically and emotionally, and encouraging them to ask questions that they may not feel comfortable raising in the classroom.

Boys were also offered the opportunity to take part in separate sessions on puberty.

The Betty Bus has been designed to support and enhance learning from Betty for schools, a curriculum-linked period education programme for teachers of pupils aged eight to 12.

Laura Critchley, a teacher at Lower Darwen Primary School said: “The visit from the Betty bus has been really beneficial for our students – they had the chance to ask all the questions that might otherwise not have asked, and it has helped them feel open to talking about periods.

“It has also helped our teachers feel empowered to talk more openly about this topic – not always an easy one to address.”