Almost a dozen Myrtleford locals have been busy stitching over the past year, to create 110 Days for Girls reusable menstrual kit bags, to do what they can as part of the 'Friends of Lacluta' volunteer outreach group.

'Friends of Lacluta' chairperson, Karen Jones said this was a special year in particular for the group, as they have made double the number of kits compared to last year, which will go to 110 girls at the public school in Lacluta, Timore-Leste.

"For many years, our local group of regular sewers, sew once a week for two-and-a half hours and have recently doubled the number of kitbags sent over to Lacluta," she said.

"Normally they’ve been going to the Year 9 girls, but feedback told us the Year 8 girls have needed them because they were getting their periods.

"So this year, they made enough to give to both the Year 8 and 9 girls and from next year we’ll continue to give the Days for Girls bags to the Year 8s, so nobody misses out.

"Barbara Broz leads the team of sewers here in Myrtleford and she is also a long-standing member of ‘Friends of Lacluta’, who went on our most recent trip to present the bags to the girls.

“We’re a small Friendship Group, some of them are quite large, but we rely heavily on the people who support our committee."

Ms Jones said the group has often had great support around the Myrtleford and Wangaratta communities with regards to fundraising.

“We also get great support from our local Rotary clubs including Whorouly Inner Wheel, the June Canavan Foundation, the Uniting church, so there are lots of people who enable us to do what we do in Lacluta," she said.

"If you’re interested in volunteering, please reach out: we've got a Facebook page, or you can call us directly on 0429 389 380 for enquiries.

“People can also become associate members for a small donation and then they get newsletters and invitations to our events."

On Saturday, 20 September, at the Uniting Church Hall in Wangaratta, there will be a celebration of the 20 years of friendship between Wangaratta and Lacluta, alongside the other Mansfield and Indigo shire friendship groups, which are also 20 years old.

"Thank you to all of you who have been part of Friends of Lacluta over the years and to those who have supported us both here in Australia and in Timor-Leste," Ms Jones said.