Ipswich Library to host menopause focus group

Have you experienced or are you currently experiencing the menopause?

Suffolk Libraries is holding a focus group at Ipswich County Library on Tuesday 24 January as part of the planning for its new menopause support programme.

The new programme is being launched after Suffolk Libraries received £170k of funding from the Department of Health and Social Care’s Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise Health and Wellbeing Fund. The funding will enable Suffolk Libraries to launch a new project to provide support and advice for women who are experiencing the menopause and perimenopause.

Next week’s focus group is a vital way of gaining some insight from people who have lived experience of the menopause and Suffolk Libraries would be very keen to hear from anyone who would like to take part.

The focus group will run from 5.30PM to 7.30PM. Anyone who would like to come along can email bethany.fisher@suffolklibraries.co.uk .

The Department of Health funding for the project was announced in December and aims to help women to remain in or return to the workplace through and following pregnancy, pregnancy loss or menopause.

Suffolk Libraries will be working with Suffolk Mind and other partners on the new menopause support programme which will focus on three key elements:

• Working with local employers to encourage them to sign up to a pledge to support women experiencing the menopause or perimenopause
• Supporting women with lived experience of the menopause to help to develop ways of supporting them and other women
• Producing and sharing a range of dedicated resources via the Suffolk Libraries website all designed to support employers and women experiencing the menopause or perimenopause.

Suffolk Libraries plans to formally launch the project in March.

There is also a focus group for employers taking place at Ipswich County Library on Tuesday 7 February from 1PM to 3PM.