First Minister makes a surprise visit to Menopause Cafe Perth
For immediate release, 26th October 2022, 12:30pm
Contact : Rachel Weiss, chairperson@menopausecafe.net
Summary
- The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, joined participants at the Menopause Café Perth last night
- At a Menopause Café people gather to drink tea, eat cake and talk menopause. No talks, no experts.
- The Scottish charity has a worldwide reach with events being hosted by volunteers in Bahrain, Mexico, USA and India as well as throughout the UK
- “I can’t think of a better place to come to have a frank and informative discussion about the menopause than a Menopause Café” says First Minister
Main text
A surprise guest joined the pop-up Menopause Café in Blend Coffee Lounge, Perth last night, Tuesday October 25th. Over 40 people were drinking tea and talking menopause, when the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, arrived and joined the conversations at some of the tables.
The First Minister says “When I was growing up, I didn’t know much – if anything – about the menopause. It was shrouded in mystery because women didn’t tend to talk about it. Now, I understand that is partly because of the stigma women face when admitting they are going through the menopause – as well as the vulnerability that comes when we start experiencing symptoms. I can’t think of a better place to come to have a frank and informative discussion about the menopause than a Menopause Café. The idea behind these fantastic events is so important as we work towards normalising these important conversations.”
The Menopause Café movement started in Perth in 2017 and has spread worldwide, with volunteers now hosting events in the UK, Bahrain, Mexico, USA, Austria and India. Although menopause is spoken about more now, the narrative is often unbalanced, focussing only on the downsides. “The First Minister is a good role model by talking about her perimenopause and its effect on her working life.” said Rachel Weiss, founder of the Menopause Café charity, “Many people still feel it’s something they can’t mention at work or at home. That’s why our charity provides relaxed spaces for menopause conversations, which can empower people to then speak with their family, friends and colleagues. We share our stories, questions, tips and laughs. It’s not all doom and gloom: with knowledge and support the menopause transition can be a transformative experience leading to a new stage of life”.
“It’s the first time I’ve been to a Menopause Café” said one participant “and I’m walking out feeling lighter and liberated, because it was so good to talk.”
“I can’t begin to say how insightful and powerful the session was with people sharing their experiences and not feeling so alone. It was empowering to realise that there are shared experiences and that you are not going mad. It also made me realise that some symptoms were due to the menopause that I hadn’t realised were menopausal symptoms eg itchy skin. Such a positive, well run session that made a massive impact on my personal mental wellbeing”, said someone after their employer hosted an international, online Menopause Café. To attend or host a Menopause Café, go to www.menopausecafe.net.
End of press release.
Photographs taken and owned by A Sanwell for Menopause Cafe. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Menopause Café charity creates spaces for conversations about menopause, to normalise this transition stage.
- We support volunteers worldwide who host pop-up Menopause Café events, open to all regardless of age or gender. People, often strangers, meet online or in person, to drink tea, eat cake and talk menopause. There are no speakers or experts.
- We hold an annual Menopause Festival, #FlushFest, with medical speakers, entertainment and a range of creative workshops, where participants can learn and laugh together, finding their tribe.
The charity was founded by Rachel Weiss in Perth, Scotland, in 2017.
Contact us at www.menopausecafe.net, or chairperson@menopausecafe.net
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/menocafe17/
Twitter and Instagram @Menopause_Cafe