Suffolk Libraries is marking Menopause Awareness Month and World Menopause Day by reminding people of the support available through the Menopause & Me project run in partnership with Suffolk Mind.
October is Menopause Awareness Month and World Menopause Day on Friday 18 October is organised each year by The International Menopause Society to raise awareness, break the stigma and promote the support available for anyone affected by the menopause or perimenopause.
The Menopause & Me project is delivered by Suffolk Libraries and Suffolk Mind and is funded by the Department of Health & Social Care. It offers a range of support for anyone going through the menopause and perimenopause – including specific support for employers.
The support available include M-Powered support groups at libraries. This currently includes Framlingham, Gainsborough, Beccles, Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket, Kesgrave, Chantry and Stowmarket libraries. Hadleigh and Glemsford library sessions are also coming soon. You can watch a film about the benefits of attending these sessions.
Suffolk Libraries has worked with ACE East Anglia to create an accessible film about the menopause featuring people with lived experience of having a learning disability and autistic people’s menopause stories.
Suffolk Libraries also has a large resource of helpful information and links for anyone going through the menopause including a series of blogs written by those with lived experience of the menopause. The blogs include one from Charlie Green at Suffolk Mind about Hormone Replacement Therapy which is the theme for World Menopause Day this year.
There is help for employers and their staff too. One in 10 women who have been employed during the menopause have left work due to menopause symptoms, and eight out of 10 women say their employer hasn’t shared information, trained staff, or put in place a menopause absence policy.
Menopause & Me offers access to free employer training from Suffolk Mind and encourages employers to sign up to a Menopause pledge and access a range of free resources and support to help them create a more menopause friendly workplace. The employer training recently received praise following research by the University of Suffolk.
Jane Cox, Suffolk Libraries Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Manager, said:
“The menopause is still something many people don’t want to talk about and many don’t know about the range of support available. World Menopause Day is a perfect opportunity to talk about te issue and remind people that there are many ways to get help. We’ve already achieved a lot since launching Menopause & Me and working together with Suffolk Mind we’re hoping we can continue to make Suffolk a more menopause-friendly place to live.”
Corrina Hanley, Community Services Manager at Suffolk Mind, added:
"It is important to remember the menopause is something that affects us all – from the people directly experiencing it to their families, friends and colleagues. It is therefore vital that we build a supportive community that both raises awareness of the effects of menopause and creates a greater understanding.
“Our Menopause & Me programme in partnership with Suffolk Libraries is designed to help people with lived experiences in an open and supportive setting, equipping people with the tools to support both themselves and others."
