Menopause support group launches at Bishop's Stortford library
Two members of staff at Bishop's Stortford library have set up a menopause support group to help other women.
Sarah Allen and Sara Shaw described their project as a "work in progress" but they are keen to encourage sufferers from across the town to join them for the first public meeting, on Friday February 24, after colleagues showed their support at the launch last month.
After failing to find a suitable evening venue, they have adapted the nationwide Menopause Café model and will host the group at the library from 4pm to 5pm.
Sarah said: "We just thought 'Let's start something at work in our meeting room and see how it goes'. So we are a work in progress. We felt that there's a definite need for this type of support for women."
If the afternoon group gets enough support, the pair will consider launching a monthly evening meeting.
They have prepared a list of menopause support resources for attendees, but first and foremost the group is a chance for women exclusively to get together and support each other.
Sarah said: "This group is very informal, just to chat and share information. We've found personally that it's great to hear other people's experience and ideas to help them through this phase in life.
"We felt it would be a good idea to share resources and other stuff that's helped; for instance, what to ask your doctor, maybe help people make a script to ask for the help they need etc.
"We felt it was very much needed, judging by friends' and colleagues' experience."
Menopause is when a woman's periods stop due to lower hormone levels, usually between the ages of 45 and 55.
The majority of the 3.4 million women aged 50 to 64 in the UK will experience symptoms of menopause – ranging from heart palpitations to hot flushes, vaginal pain, anxiety and depression.
A recent survey of 4,000 women aged 45-55 by the Fawcett Society, a gender equality charity, and Channel 4 discovered that one in 10 women in the UK have left their jobs due to suffering menopause symptoms.
