Menopause Support Programme

Menopause Education and Support @ SaTH Please see below for our programme of education and wellbeing sessions.

For the Teams sessions just click the link to join.

All face-to-face sessions must be booked via the links below.

Partnering Ambitious

Caring Trusted

2026/2027 Online Gentle Yoga - 12 week block (seperate booking each week needed)

Starts 1st June 2026

Jenna Blair

Booking Link

Cafe with video showings of Introduction to Menopause and HRT

5th June 11am to 12.30pm RSH

Menopause Advocates

Room 1 SERII, RSH

Menopause Advocate Training

18th June 1.003.30 SERII, RSH

Angela Loughlin

Book Here

22nd June 2026 11am to 12pm

Dr Jo Ritchie

Join on the day here

Q&A with Dr Jo Ritchie

Cafe with video showings of Pelvic Health and Alternatives to HRT - Arrive on the day, no need to book

22nd July 23.30pm PRH

Menopause Advocates

Room A Education Centre, PRH

Cafe with video showings of Movement and Having a Conversation with your GP, Arrive on the day, no need to book

28th September 10.30-12pm RSH

Menopause Advocates

Room 12 SERII, RSH

Q&A with Dr Jo Ritchie

September

Dr Jo Ritchie

Cafe with video showings of Lifestyle and Acupuncture

November

Menopause Advocates

Cafe with video recordings of Nutrition and Sex and Menopause

January 2027

Menopause Advocates

Cafe with video recordings of Early Menopause and Surgically Induced Menopause

March 2027

Menopause Advocates

03/04/2025 12.30pm

Dr Jo Ritchie

Session Recording

30/04/2025 12.30pm

Health and Wellbeing Team Advocate

Meet outside Paul Brown Building, PRH

Menopause Walk and Talk

01/05/2025 12.30pm

Health and Wellbeing Team Advocate

Meet outside SECC, RSH

Nutrition and Menopause

06/05/2025 5.15pm

Sarah Summers

Session Recording

Menopause Advocate Training

06/05/2025 9am

Angela Loughlin

LMS Booking Link

Gentle Yoga Sessions - 12 week block at PRH

07/05/2025 to 30/07/2025 5.15pm

Jenna Blair

Booking Link

Nutrition and Menopause

13/05/2025 5.15pm

Sarah Summers

Session Recording

Hormone Replacement Therapy

16/05/2025 12.30pm

Dr Jo Ritchie

Session Recording

Nutrition and Menopause

27/05/2025 7pm

Sarah Summers

Session Recording

Menopause Advocate Training

03/06/2025 9am

Angela Loughlin

LMS Booking Link

Alternative to HRT

05/06/2025 1pm

Dr Jo Ritchie

Session Recording

Movement in Menopause

05/06/2025 5.15pm

Jules McGill - Aluna Wellbeing

LMS Booking Link

Introduction to the Menopause and symptoms

Menopause Walk and Talk

Movement in Menopause

12/06/2025 5.15pm

Jules McGill Aluna Wellbeing

LMS Booking Link

Movement in Menopause

23/06/2025 12.30pm

Jules McGill Aluna Wellbeing

Session Recording

25/06/2025

Health and Wellbeing Team Advocate

SERII Wellbeing Roadshow

Mental Health and Menopause

03/07/2025 11am

Dr Cat O'Callaghan and Dr Jo Ritchie

Room C PRH Education Centre

Sex and Menopause

06/08/2025 12.30pm

Dr Jo Ritchie

Session Recording

Getting the best out of your conversations with your GP

01/09/2025 12.30pm

Dr Mel Thompson

Session Recording

Gentle Yoga - 12 week block at RSH

08/09/2025 5.15pm

Jenna Blair

Booking Link

Mental Health and Menopause -RSH

18/09/2025 3.15pm

Dr Cat O’Callaghan

Booking Link

Osteoporosis and Menopause

03/10/2025 11am

Prof Mark Garton

Booking Link

Menopause Advocate Training

02/10/2025 9am RSH

Angela Loughlin

Booking Link

Lifestyle Support through Menopause

03/11/2025 12.30pm

Dr Mel Thompson

Session Recording

Menopause Café

Menopause Cafe - All Colleagues PRH Education Centre

18/11/2025 11.3012.15pm 20/11/2025 12.0012.45pm

Menopause Advocates

Just arrive on the day

Pelvic Health and Menopause

04/12/2025 12.30pm

Linda Van Doorn

Session Recording

Gentle Yoga Online - by Jenna Blair Yoga (Every Monday for 12 weeks)

Starting 5th January 2026

Jenna Blair Yoga

Booking Link

09/01/2026 11am

Dr Jo Ritchie

Booking Link

Menopause Advocate Training

19/01/2026 9.30am PRH

Angela Loughlin

Mental Health and Menopause

28/01/2026 1.30pm PRH

Dr Cat O’Callaghan

Surgically Induced Menopause

09/02/2026 12pm

Dr Jo Ritchie

Session Recording

Menopause Cafe RSH

10.30-11.30 SERII

Menopause Advocates

Arrive on the day

Menopause Cafe PRH

10.30-11.30 Education Centre

Menopause Advocates

Arrive on the day

Acupuncture and Menopause

06/03/2026 12.15pm PRH

Beth Mottershead

Book Here

Menopause Cafe - Male Colleagues SERII RSH

Sex and Menopause

Booking Link

Booking Link

Acupuncture and Menopause

12/03/2026 1pm RSH

Beth Mottershead

Book Here

Early Menopause

17/03/2026 12pm

Dr Jo Ritchie

Session Recording

Beth Mottershead

Session Recording

Acupuncture and Menopause

Further sessions will be added in due course

24/03/2026 12pm

What will the sessions involve?

Introduction to the Menopause Join Jo Williams our Chief Executive and Dr Jo Ritchie, Consultant Obstetrician, Gynaecologist and British Menopause Society Menopause Specialist as we launch the SaTH Menopause education and support programme. Dr Ritchie will provide an overview of what to expect as you enter the perimenopause stage of life including the range of symptoms you may experience.

There will be time for Q&A at the end of the presentation. Please note Dr Ritchie will not give individual medical advice in this session.

Menopause Walk and Talk Join the menopause and health and wellbeing advocates for SaTH for a lunchtime walk. Meet likeminded colleagues, share experiences, and receive signposting to the support available to manage your symptoms.

Gentle Yoga Gentle Yoga with Jenna Blair is perfect for beginners and those with some yoga experience - move your body gently, connect to your breath and take some important time out, to tune in.

Nutrition and the Menopause This session will explore the key role of nutrition in managing menopause symptoms and supporting overall health.

We’ll cover practical, evidence-based strategies to help regulate blood sugar for sustained energy and stress management, optimise protein intake for muscle, bone, and metabolic health, and incorporate functional foods that can support hormone balance. Expect clear, actionable advice that can be easily integrated into a busy lifestyle.

Menopause Advocate Training The SaTH Menopause Advocate Training session will feature discussion and planning around how attendees would run sessions to ensure colleagues feel comfortable talking about menopause in the workplace. Participants will: Gain a better understanding or perimenopause and menopause symptoms Explore the support options available to colleagues in SaTH experiencing menopause symptoms Understand how to have supportive conversations using the menopause toolkit Learn to upskill line managers on what they need to know and do to have confident conversations and provide the best support.

Lifestyle Support Join Dr Mel Thompson, GP and Lifestyle Coach together with Dr Jo Ritchie, to talk about subtle lifestyle changes you can make to help combat your menopause symptoms.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Dr Ritchie will provide an overview of the range of Hormone Therapy available to those with menopausal symptoms. She’ll discuss the benefits you may experience from using HRT together with the potential risks. There will be time for Q&A at the end of the presentation. Please note Dr Ritchie will not give individual medical advice in this session.

Alternatives to HRT This session will explore non hormonal medications for menopause symptoms, for those who can’t have HRT or wish to look at alternatives. There will be time for Q&A at the end of the presentation. Please note Dr Ritchie will not give individual medical advice in this session.

Movement This session will focus on reframing exercise as something that supports your entire wellbeing and energises rather than depletes our energy. Supporting your entire lifestyle through this phase of life and embedding exercise habits that means you are consistently putting yourself first for lifelong wellbeing: including mobility, strength, balance as well as supporting mental wellbeing.

Menopause Café Bring your lunch and join SaTH menopause advocates together with likeminded people to chat through what it’s like to be at the perimenopause and menopause stage of life.

Mental Health and the Menopause This session will explore common mental health issues, such as brain fog and anxiety, that people may experience during the perimenopause and menopause and discuss treatment options. There will be time for Q&A and sharing of experiences at the end of the session.

Pelvic Health and Menopause Join Linda, our Senior Pelvic Physiotherapist, to talk about the importance of looking after your pelvic health before, during and after the menopause. She will discuss any signs and symptoms that you should look out for and how and when to seek professional help. She will also discuss how exercise in general and pelvic floor exercises specifically may help.

Acupuncture and Menopause The session will explore: What is acupuncture?

A brief history of acupuncture What to expect at an acupuncture appointment including tongue and pulse diagnosis and how what we see here corresponds to menopause How acupuncture helps the menopause Exploring acupuncture points that we use on ourselves and how those points will help their menopausal symptoms.

Menopause and Osteoporosis This session will focus on bone health prior to menopause, bone loss during menopause and methods of preventing or treating postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Conversations with your GP Join Dr Mel Thompson and Dr Jo Ritchie to explore how best to make use of the time you spend with your GP.

Who are the speakers?

Dr Jo Ritchie Dr Ritchie is a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist working at the both Shrewsbury and Telford hospitals, she is committed to empowering patients though education. She is a British menopause society (BMS) Menopause specialist, Diplomate of the Institute of Psychosexual Medicine, committee member of the British society of Paediatric and adolescent gynaecology (BritSPAG) and member of the Faculty of Reproductive and Sexual Health (FSRH). These complementing qualifications have provided Dr Ritchie the skills to provide holistic care to all patients of all ages with menopausal symptoms.

Sarah Summers - Nutritionist Sarah Summers is a Registered Nutritionist specialising in perimenopause and menopause. With a background in corporate and workplace wellness, she helps midlife women regain energy, improve sleep, and feel more like themselves through personalised nutrition and lifestyle strategies.

Jenna Blair - Yoga Jenna Blair is a yoga teacher and founder of Jenna Blair Yoga, a community organisation and beautiful wellbeing centre in Shrewsbury. The practice of yoga is the love of Jenna's life, and her mantra is "All the yoga for all the people!".

Jules McGill – Aluna Wellbeing Jules is the founder of Aluna Wellbeing, she approaches fitness through a holistic lens, is a movement coach and body confidence expert, helping people build a positive relationship with exercise through a life-first approach. With a focus on movement that feels good and promotes self-trust, she supports individuals in rediscovering strength, resilience, and confidence at every stage of life. Through coaching, workshops, and programs, Jules empowers people to use movement as a tool for self-connection and long-term Dr Cat O’Callaghan Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Psychology Lead for the Trust, Hamar Centre Manager. Cat has significant experience of working with adults with mental health issues both in community settings and currently as part of our staff psychology service.

Beth Mottershead Beth is a degree-qualified Acupuncturist who has been in practice for 10 years and specialises in treating fertility and women's health.

Professor Mark Garton Professor Garton is a Consultant Physician and Rheumatologist, now retired from NHS work. Prof.

Garton qualified in London in 1985 and worked as a medical consultant at Perth Royal Infirmary between 1996 and 2010 and subsequently re-located to Shropshire to manage the metabolic bone department at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Oswestry, until 2017. Professor Garton has had a special interest in metabolic bone diseases for over 25 years and helped to establish the osteoporosis screening services in Aberdeen and Perth. Prof. Garton is married with two daughters, and enjoys performing and listening to classical music in his spare time.

Linda Van Doorn Linda is a skilled and dedicated pelvic health physiotherapist with nearly two decades of experience. She qualified as a physiotherapist in the Netherlands and honed her expertise through roles in Germany, Italy, and France before relocating to the United Kingdom in 1996.

Upon her arrival, Linda began her career within the NHS, initially focusing on musculoskeletal physiotherapy before specializing in pelvic health in 2008. Currently serving as the Pelvic Health Clinical Lead Physiotherapist, Linda has been instrumental in developing the Perinatal Pelvic Health Service for pregnant and postnatal women in Shropshire. She is committed to education and empowerment, regularly delivering informative sessions on a range of pelvic health topics to both patients and healthcare professionals. Through her efforts, Linda enhances awareness of pelvic floor dysfunction and demonstrates how physiotherapy can successfully manage these distressing conditions.

Dr Mel Thompson I have over 20 years of experience as a doctor; initially specialising in sexual health, gynaecology and obstetrics before choosing a career in general practice. I currently work as a GP Partner in Telford. I have a keen interest in well-being- both emotional and physical. I have studied Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) and am a TRIM (Trauma and resilience Management) practitioner. I have been a Mentor for many years and currently lead the local mentoring programme for GPs.Leadership and coaching are areas I have been working on for the last few years. I have been working in GP education for over 15 years now and am leading the educational programme for GPs locally. I have been a GP trainer and am enjoying my role as a GP appraiser.

My other interests are Women’s Health & Menopause and Aesthetics Medicine. I am part of the STW Health and Wellbeing Board. I am also currently a Co-Clinical Director for South East Telford PCN. I know the pressures of working and adapting to change especially with the demands of busy family life. I enjoy baking and craft work in my spare time. I live locally with my husband and boys and enjoy walking our dog in the Shropshire Hills.

If you have any questions, please contact sath.ahealthieryou@nhs.net.