Menopause Champions can make a massive difference in a school - but it's also a commitment. Why would you chose to do this?

Here are the reasons some people chose to be Menopause Champions!

· You recognise the impact that menopause has on your colleagues and you want to support them.

· You want to make more people take notice of menopause and empathise with those dealing with it.

· You want to see problems dealt with quickly and effectively before things spiral out of control and someone loses their career.

· You want to help influence the culture of the school to make it more menopause-friendly and female-friendly.

· You want to feel the buzz that comes when menopausal women support each other.

· You want to make sure that women are not disadvantaged in their careers because of menstrual and menopausal health.

· You believe in equality, diversity and inclusion.

· You see it as part of combating misogyny and ageism.

What a Menopause Champion does

The role is yours to develop as you chose in accordance with the needs of the school.

It can involve some of the following.

· Raising awareness of perimenopause and menopause

· Supporting colleagues with peri/menopause

· Signposting people to sources of further support

· Accompanying colleagues in discussions around reasonable adjustments.

· Advocating for colleagues who are struggling.

· Running support groups

· Contributing to menopause policies and strategies.

· Being involved in discussions about well-being within the school.

What's really important to remember, however, is that menopause champions are also often peri/menopausal people, so they need supporting too. So when a school looks at appointing Menopause Champions, they ask the question - what are they going to need so they can fulfil the role. It's also a reason why it's useful to have more than one Menopause Champion - so that they are able to support each other.

That way, everyone wins!