Over the last few years there has been a growing campaign to raise awareness of the Menopause, which affects as many as 400,000 women in the UK every year.
Informal support groups are popping up around the country, including here on the Isle of Wight.
Isle of Wight coverage
As previously reported, regular sessions are hosted by experts at Kirsty Chapman’s Better Days Cafe in Ventnor. Lucy Bell’s Menopausal Revolution, a private Facebook Group, has been running for sometime, and Dr Jane Peckham, a GP and menopause expert, runs the Wight Menopause Page on Facebook. (see links at the bottom)
Latest addition
The latest addition to the menopause support network on the Island is ‘Menopause Isle of Wight’, which has regular meet-ups, called ‘Chatty Things’ and a presence on Facebook and Instagram.
Set up by Stefanie Oliphant in August, after she began sharing her own menopause story with women she met, the idea is to provide a network to support and help women going through the menopause by encouraging them to share their experiences.
Oliphant: “I set up regular ‘Chatty Things'”
Stefanie explained,
“Women had started sharing their stories about their own menopausal experience with me, so I set up regular ‘Chatty Things’ to help them get together in a friendly manner to talk.
“A ‘Chatty Thing’ takes place at venues around the Island and offers a space for women to openly chat with other menopausal women. It is very informal and there is no agenda or advice, just a chance for them to meet up.”
Isle of Wight MP
Last weekend Stefanie invited Isle of Wight Conservative MP, Bob Seely to the latest ‘Chatty Thing’ event being held at Quay Arts.
The news elicited a mixed response on social media, but Stefanie defended her decision to involve the MP.
APPG’s Menopause Inquiry
Meanwhile in Parliament, Carolyn Harris, the Welsh Labour MP for Swansea East, chairs of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Menopause.
In October her group published its final report (see below) following a year-long inquiry into the subject.
Danzebrink: “We need action”
In response to the report, menopause campaigner, Diane Danzebrink, said,
“Much of what is in this report is in the Women’s Health strategy and the Government’s Menopause in the Workplace Survey Report, both published this year.
“We don’t need any more reports to follow this one, we need action.
“However, at a time of such political and financial unrest I am concerned that, once the media attention given to menopause awareness month is over, menopause and women’s health will quietly slip down the agenda again.”
Find out more
To find out more about the groups, when they meet etc., follow the links below.
Local
- Menopausal Revolution Isle of wight (private group run by Lucy Bell – request to join)
- Dr Jane Peckham’s Wight Menopause (Like and Follow the page for updates)
- Facebook Menopause IsleofWight (FB profile – Follow for updates)
- Instagram menopause_iow
National
Article edit
11.55am 12th December – Link to Instagram profile added and info about Website coming soon
