Free "Age of Love Cafe" event in Northampton: Sex, Intimacy & Sensuality as we mature

Sharron Hinchliff is a Professor of Psychology and Health at the University of Sheffield where she leads a programme of work on ageing, gender, and sexual health and well-being. She is passionate about addressing inequalities and uses insights from psychology to tackle the negative social stereotypes about sexuality at midlife and beyond, including women's sexual wellbeing at menopause.

Key to Sharron’s work is resource development, including the Age of Love project with artist Pete McKee which uses art and light humour to raise awareness of the intimate relationships of older adults, and the public health website: agesexandyou.com which provides information about the sexual changes people can face as they get older. Sharron also launched the UK's first Sexual Rights Charter for Older adults in partnership with Age-friendly Sheffield in 2022.

Professor Sharron has been running similar “Age of Love Café” sessions in Sheffield and will give the keynote at the FREE/donate what you can event which runs from 2 – 4pm at St Crispin’s Community Centre, St Crispin Drive, Northampton, NN5 4GJ on Saturday September 2nd, and she will be joined by award-winning entrepreneur Shalom Lloyd of Naturally Tribal Skincare (from whom we have some goodies to give away to lucky ticket holders), and Occupational Therapist Natalie Summers will be giving us tips on physical fitness around our “second spring” of Menopause, and Dr Audrey Tang of CLICK Arts Foundation will be leading a Body Love Burlesque taster session as part of the event, with a short demo from her team of dancers, plus we have a reflection on loneliness performed by local actress Patsy Wright.

Refreshments will be provided by Northampton Cancer Charity The Lewis Foundation who source, package and hand deliver free gift packs to adult cancer patients in hospital and the community weekly. These are items they might find difficult to buy themselves or simply cannot afford. For many people in hospital and the community, our volunteers are their only regular visitors.

Dr Audrey Tang, chair of Trustees at CLICK Arts Foundation said “’Skin hunger’ a term coined by Dr Kory Floyd is sadly real – and as we age sometimes the only time we are touched is in a medical context. We invite you to listen to the speakers, share your own experiences in a safe space, and even give our low impact burlesque session a go - celebrating the sensual, sexual being that you are.” Professor Sharron told NLive Radio’s ‘mental health show, The Wellbeing Lounge’ “Sex is still seen as ‘a bit ick’ with stereotypes such as “dirty old man” or “why are you thinking about sex at your age”…it’s time we broke that stigma because sex is part of wellbeing.”

To ensure accessibility, because wellbeing is essential, not a luxury - entry is by ticket on a FREE/“donate what you can” basis via Eventbrite. Ticket includes all the speakers, tea/coffee and a slice of cake, plus the burlesque taster.

Space is kept intimate with audience numbers capped, so please book in advance: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sex-age-and-wellbeing-the-age-of-love-cafe-tickets-681505470207

(Over 18s only)