Menopause Cafés are pop-up events, held worldwide, aiming to break the taboo around talking menopause.
The conversation began in early 2017 when Menopause Café founder Rachel Weiss watched the Kirsty Wark documentary ‘Menopause and Me’ with her husband and realised how pervasive and damaging the silence was around menopause. Rachel wanted to do something to change that and hosted the first menopause café with two other women, Lorna and Gail, in June of that year.
Since the first Menopause Café in Perth, Scotland, there have been over 550 menopause cafés in the UK, as well as in Toronto, Copenhagen and Nairobi, and the appetite to open up about menopause continues to grow.
The Menopause Café movement led to the world’s only menopause festival #FlushFest, the first of which was held in 2018. Feedback from festival goers was overwhelmingly positive with many calling for an annual recurrence of the event.
One attendee said, “Very nice mix of talks and activities. Friendly crowd; was happy to come alone & meet new people. Please do this again.”
Another commented “Feeling more educated about menopause in the workplace and how relatively easy it would be to make small adjustments that could make big differences.”
This year #FlushFest2021 is going virtual so there is even more opportunity to get involved. #FlushFest2021 has so far attracted attendees from New Zealand, Australia and the USA, as well as a whole new group of people who want to know more and share their experiences.
There’s still time to join in the fun.
The festival provides a space where participants laugh and learn about menopause together in a fun and collaborative environment.
Kirsty Wark will open the world’s only menopause festival to help “break the taboo and have some fun”. There will be talks by experts, stand-up comedy, creative workshops, theatre and some outstanding cabaret performances, all raising awareness of the impact of menopause on those experiencing it, their friends, family and colleagues.
During the day on Friday 30th April the focus is on menopause at work with a seminar and panel discussion aimed at HR professionals, trade unions and occupational health. These sessions will explore good practice for workplaces to attract, support and retain women through the perimenopause and post-menopause years.
In the evening festival goers will enjoy a hilarious stand-up comedy performance; All Change with Pauline Eyre, as well as Red Velvet Revelry Slightly Steamy Storytelling with Marie Louise Cochrane and Heidi Docherty.
Saturday 1st May will begin with keynote speeches by Sam Bunch writer, interviewer, TEDx speaker and author of Menopause – A Hot Topic, and Dr Heather Currie, Associate Specialist Gynaecologist, Founder of Menopause Matters Limited and past Chair of British Menopause society.
A mix of creative workshops will follow including spoken word, belly dancing, yoga and more before the evening is rounded off with an incredible action-packed cabaret featuring 8 amazing acts, presented by Elspeth Murray of Silver Sisters.
Come join us to discover all this and more.
The Menopause Café is a volunteer run charitable organisation whose mission is to get people of all ages and genders talking openly about menopause.