A Strawberry Jam is a bloody big success

Fuse FM’s most recent club night was a bloody big success, collecting enough tampons for someone to use for 11 years, alongside a whole range of other sanitary products.

Following our preview of the event, which was a night full of the very best of Manchester’s female talent, the collaboration managed to raise a whole heap of sanitary products and money to help women most in need.

The night managed to collect 78 packets of pads, 66 boxes of tampons, 19 tubes of toothpaste, and 16 bottles of shampoo, alongside a range of other products like shower gel, panty liners, and toothbrushes. As if this wasn’t enough, the night also managed to raise £80 on the door.

If you were unable to attend but still want to donate, a collections box will be set up in 532 Bar and Kitchen, in the Students’ Union. The donations will go to rough sleepers and refugee and domestic abuse shelters across Manchester through Every Month, a charity that works closely with Bloody Good Period to provide sanitary products to those in need in the North of England.

Not only was this event designed to help raise vital supplies for Bloody Good Period, it also helped to showcase some of the brilliant performances that female DJs in Manchester have to offer.

Martha Bolton, Fuse FM’s Head of Events, claims there is still a problem with female under-representation, especially in the world of work. Deciding to work with an all-female lineup helps to give many incredibly talented women, who may never have been on stage before, an opportunity to really show what they can do.

Seven DJs were given a chance to perform, with some even going on stage for the first time. Although this may seem daunting, they all rose to the challenge, and both the performers and the audience were incredibly supportive.

Leia Barlow (Velmz) said: “It was a great experience meeting other female DJs, as it’s quite rare that I get the chance to! Everyone was so supportive, and there was a great variety of genres throughout the night.”

Martha added: “We don’t want to use euphemisms for periods. This is all about normalising something that has historically been very stigmatised, and we want to break down those barriers.”

The event was a huge success, with just under 300 free tickets being nabbed before the event and welcoming even more students at the door. If you were one of the unlucky ones who didn’t manage to make it down — never fear! Our friends over at Funraising are, as we speak, compiling a short documentary of the night, full of footage and interviews for you to enjoy to your heart’s content. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for the video.

Stay tuned for Fuse FM’s next event by keeping up to date with their Facebook page — they’ll be back very soon with what is sure to be a bloody good night.