Welcome to the Royal Holloway Menopause (and Perimenopause!) Network. 

All genders and ages are welcome to attend network meetings and events, whether you’re experiencing symptoms of the menopause/perimenopause yourself and want to meet others in a similar situation or if you would like to understand more about the menopause. Topics to discuss or share are guided by the members of the network. 

 If you would like to join the network please email menopause@rhul.ac.uk.

Our aims are:

• To provide a space for colleagues to talk about the peri/menopause and share experiences.
• To discuss further support the College can offer, including through workshops and speakers.
• To give feedback on College policy development and associated practice.

Please email menopause@rhul.ac.uk if you would like to join a Private Channel for the Menopause (and perimenpause!) Staff Network on Teams.  

Menopause and Nutrition Masterclass

Thursday 9 March 2023 2-3.15pm online

This session is for those wanting to understand how we fuel our bodies during menopause and the huge impact this can have on our symptoms, how we feel and our long-term health. It will be delivered by Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace and Jackie Lynch, a Nutritional Therapist. This menopause and nutrition masterclass will offer practical advice and top tips on what can help ease menopause symptoms and support long-term health. It will cover:

- what can support your body

- things that may have a negative impact

- the small changes you can make to start feeling better and improve symptoms

- key considerations for your long-term health

The session will be recorded. If you would like to be sent the meeting invite, please email menopause@rhul.ac.uk.

 

Understanding Menopause and Mental Health with Diane Danzebrink

Thursday 12 January 2023, 11-12pm.

Here is the recording of the event.

This one-hour presentation explores the mental and emotional symptoms of menopause. Menopause is so much more than hot flushes and periods stopping and for many the first symptoms of menopause are mental and emotional. This session is dedicated to these symptoms and how they can be managed. 

The main part of the presentation will be recorded (the question/answer part will not). The recording will be uploaded to this hub. Please email menopause@rhul.ac.uk to receive a calendar invite. 

 

First Staff Menopause Network meeting

Our first Menopause Network meeting took place 1 November 2022, 3-4pm in the Events Space on the Ground Floor of the Emily Wilding Davison Building. It was lovely to see so many colleagues from across the College come together to talk about experiences, and also what kind of support is needed both from the network and also the College at large to improve experiences. You can email menopause@rhul.ac.uk if you are interested in joining future sessions.  

 

World Menopause Day 2022

'What I am still learning about Menopause' -  with Caroline Harris

18 October 2022.

You can access a recording of the event here. 

 

Menopause at Work Training for Managers

The College has set up Menopause at work training sessions for line managers

"Our workshops upskill line managers on what they need to know and do to have confident conversations and provide the best support." Delivered by Henpicked, Menopause in the Workplace.

Tues 29^th November, 10am-11:15am and Thurs 16^th March, 2pm-3:15pm (both online). 

 

• This formal guidance put together by HR is adapted from the University of Leicester’s Menopause Policy, the Royal College of Nursing guidance and The Menopause in the workplace Toolkit for trade unionists (Wales TUC Cymru). It is designed to equip managers with the confidence to have conversations around the menopause with staff (if the staff member has requested that this is what they want) and help alleviate menopausal symptoms at work. The guidance helps to clarify the connection between the menopause and its symptoms, and the College flexible working and sickness absence policies, and make managers aware of how the menopause can affect trans, non-binary and intersex people. The document also contains a template managers can use to record conversations and agreed adjustments if required.
• We have also put together a (lovely and colourful) leaflet, Menopause At Work Guidance for Managers, which includes a further discussion of support and adjustments that can be made in the workplace.
• Menopause at Work Training for line managers. 

 

• The College Staff Wellbeing pages contain resources, links and support for wellbeing and mental health. These include  tips on how to look after your mental and physical health, wellbeing articles on themes including sleep and stress, and links to external sources of support. You can also read about our onsite massage therapist!
• Togetherall is a safe and clinically managed online community to improve mental health and wellbeing available 24 hours a day. The service is available for both students and staff and includes guides and advice for looking after your mental wellbeing - such as goal setters and journals - alongside being able to connect with a community, and get (or give) anonymous mental health support. 

Connect  - with others experiencing similar feelings.

Feel safe  - trained professionals are on hand 24/7. 

Stay anonymous - Togetherall protect everyone's identity within the community.

Get results - research shows that Togetherall's tools, courses and resources help. 

 

• All staff at the College have access to the Employee Wellbeing Programme provided by Confidential Care (CiC). This service is available twenty four hours a day, three hundred and sixty five days per year, for both work and personal concerns. It is a confidential service available to staff and their immediate family members who are part of the same household. Services cover legal and tax advice, debt and financial management, family support/care, therapy/counselling and emotional support. Contact details for this service are as follows:

Tel: 0800 085 1376 or 020 7938 0963, Email:  assist@cic-eap.co.uk

Your membership to this service also gives you accesss to this online source of self-help and wellbeing information. To access this you will need the following information:

Username: RHUL

Password: wellbeing

 

• Brain Fog with Dr Shahzadi Harper. "In this episode, we discuss how menopause can affect mental health, in particular brain fog, and what you can do about it." (From the Henpicked Menopause Hub.)
• Good Mood Food: Changes in mood can be a symptom of the menopause but how does what we eat influence our mood? And what can you eat to improve your mood? (Recording and transcript, from the Henpicked Menopause Hub.)
• Lunch and Learn sessions: Expert advice and tips about all aspects of the menopause (From Henpicked Menopause Hub.)
• Henpicked Menopause Hub has a range of information, resources and articles, includon on 'first signs of menopause: perimenopause explained'. 'how to be yourself through the menopause and beyond', hormoes, menopause and the workplace, early menopause, and relationships amongst othgers. The sign also contains podcasts, videos and menopause stories.
• Menopausesupport.co.uk is a not for profit community interest company and the home of the national #MakeMenopauseMatter campaign campaign which calls for mandatory menopause education for doctors, greater menopause awareness and support in the workplace and for menopause to be added to the RSE curriculum in secondary school education. Menopause Support provides private support via telephone and video consultations. It offers lots of  free resources including a symptom checker and guides for partners, how to deal with your doctor and FAQs. They also have a closed Facebook group. 
• The Merry Menopause. According to the website, The Merry Menopause is about “how do we have a Merry Menopause?” and “What do we need to have a Merry Menopause.” The site includes an online community, bookclub and podcast. 
• Diverse MInds Podcast on The Connection between Nutrition and Mental Health (not specific to the menopause).
• NHS Menopause Pages
• The Faculty of Occupational Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians has put togethe guidance for individuals who find their menopausal symptoms are affecting their wellbeing and their capacity to work.
• Healthline: Menopause (you can subscribe to a newsletter)
• Menopause Exchange (you can subscribe to a newsletter)
• Menopause: Speaking up to end the stigma (BBC News article)
• Learn more about the perimenopause and the impact it can have on mental health (article in the Independent)

 Email menopause@rhul.ac.uk if you have anything you would like to add to these pages.

Menopause tribunals: lessons learned that shold be heeded.