Case Study: Me and Menopause

Me and Menopause is a partnership project from Nova and MenoHealth that trained 10 local VCSE organisations to bring vital menopause support into communities across the district.

One of our main areas of work at Nova is to secure resources for the VCSE sector. This includes administering grant funds to financially support the work of local VCSE organisations. Here's a great example of this...

Why was Me and Menopause needed?

Menopause will affect or has already affected 178,724 women in our district during their lifetime, and the majority of those who have experienced menopause said they had been negatively affected by it.

However, Wakefield had no widespread, regular access to menopause specific information for our residents.

Me and Menopause changed that!

We recognise the importance of using organisations already embedded in their communities to deliver information and support to residents. So we worked with MenoHealth, a leading menopause organisation, who trained 10 local voluntary and community organisations as Menopause First Aiders.

These organisations were funded to deliver science-backed menopause support sessions to help more people make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing:

• Red Roof Centre
• Evergreen Active
• Bring Me To Life - Women's Wellness CIC
• St Mary's Community Centre
• Portobello Community Forum
• Castleford Heritage Trust
• Havercroft and Ryhill Community Learning Project
• CoActive Arts
• Dream Time Creative
• The Well Project

What did this support look like?

The support sessions aimed to empower participants to take control of their health and feel more confident to have conversations about menopause with their GP, manager and family.

Our delivery partner organisations provided important information about menopause and perimenopause to work towards this key goal.

"Great to speak with other ladies in the same position and experiencing the same issues. What a lovely group with a supportive instructor."

There is power in knowing you are not alone. So Me and Menopause sessions also offered valuable peer support, as many of our delivery team are currently experiencing menopause/perimenopause symptoms or are through the other side. They understand the impact menopause can have and want to help others in their communities navigate this stage of life. So the sessions were a great space to meet others going through similar experiences.

The sessions covered topics including:

• Brain fog
• Hot flushes / night sweats
• Osteoporosis and bone health
• Mental health and menopause
• HRT – busting the myths
• Alternative treatments and complementary therapies

Alongside this, the delivery team went through a range of exercises, meditations and stretches that can help with menopause symptoms.

Sessions were delivered face to face, and some were online, to fit with different preferences. Most were free or had a nominal fee.

"I suffer from a disability, and it was great to have an online session that was easy to attend. [Session leader] was approachable and helpful – she understands and has lots of knowledge about menopause."

What was the impact?

We're so proud of this project and the amazing delivery organisations! As a result of attending the support sessions, participants reported:

• feeling more informed about menopause
• feeling more confident in discussing menopause with others
• increased knowledge about where to go for help and support
• feeling more able to manage their physical and mental health in relation to menopause

This can make a huge difference, as one participant shared:

"I can’t thank you enough for delivering this course! You threw me a lifeline when I was drowning. You delivered information with so much understanding and empathy and made it easy for me to engage and talk about things I would not have shared with anyone.

I thank you and the wonderful group of ladies for allowing me to be part of this. I’ve had a lonely journey and struggled for a long time with menopause and its symptoms, you changed this! I no longer stand alone”

The feedback given my many different participants shows just how essential menopause support is.

The project was described by the delivery team as filling a gap in provision in the district because women attending often discussed not feeling fully supported by GP provision, or not being able to access any similar educational provision.

“None of my attendees have felt supported by their GP on their Menopause journey… GPs are quite rightly there for medical conditions which is not fulfilling what women going through Menopause always need.”

Nova staff ran regular online peer network meetings for all delivery partners, as a space for peers to share learning about the sessions, and to discuss challenges, as well as potential solutions. Where challenges were mentioned, for example, in relation to recruitment, partners shared their own approaches and resources, as well as discussing what had worked for them.

Where are we at now?

The project was funded for its first year by SWYT Community Mental Health and funding was distributed through the Third Sector Framework. The one year funding has come to an end and we are working with MenoHealth on a continuation plan so that the project partners can continue to deliver this much-needed support.

If you'd like more information about the project, please get in touch at info@nova-wd.org.uk