Menopause cafe hosted at Northampton gym praised for providing ‘safe and supportive place to be honest’

A menopause cafe, hosted at a Northampton gym, has been praised by attendees for providing a “safe and supportive place” where they can be honest about how they feel and learn from others.

Menopause Cafe is a national charity and Nuffield Health, in Walter Tull Way, now holds its own monthly sessions thanks to Catherine MacMillan.

The aim is to offer an accessible, respectful and confidential space that is open to all, with no intention of leading to a conclusion, product or course of action.

Following each cafe session – in which attendees are free to talk to who they want about what they want – Catherine hosts a post-cafe talk or workshop on a menopause-related topic, which changes each month.

The overall aim is to help women make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing throughout the transition and post-menopause.

One attendee said the cafe made her realise she needs to put herself first, while another described it as a “safe, supportive place where you can be honest with how you feel, learn, share tips to help and know it’s not just you”.

One also shared it is “really difficult” for people who do not experience the symptoms to understand “how alien your own body and feelings can become” – which is why the cafe is so helpful.

Catherine, who has been a wellbeing personal trainer at Nuffield Health for the past 15 months, describes herself as a “late entrant to the world of fitness” but has always had a background in health.

She found her way into the gym when she wanted to get stronger to recover from an injury and soon saw how beneficial it would be to have a space where people could come together and share about the menopause.

“From my own experience, it’s quite difficult,” said Catherine, who launched the cafe on World Menopause Day in October last year.

As the sessions are limited in size, the first is held on the last Wednesday of the month and a rerun is hosted on a different Saturday before the next one launches.

“It’s a great place to come and understand you’re not alone,” said Catherine. “Each experience is unique but there are common factors to learn from each other.

“They leave feeling confident, restored and revitalised – they’re ready to face the world again.”

The post-cafe talks have so far covered topics like pelvic floor health, nutrition and why movement is so important as you age – as well as having the opportunity to ask questions to Nuffield’s GP.

Both members and non-members of Nuffield Health are welcome to attend and bookings can be made via reception.

The next rerun on the importance of nutrition is on February 24 and the next new session on growing physical prowess is on February 28. The cafe runs from 6.30pm to 7.30pm, and the educational session is the following hour.

From next month, Catherine will also be running workshops on making lifestyle changes for the better for Nuffield Health members.

She also endorsed the 12-week health coaching course available through the membership, called ‘personal best’, which assesses health, lifestyle, wellbeing, eating and movement.

For more information on the Menopause Cafe, visit Nuffield Health’s website here.