PRESS RELEASE by Nicci Talbot, Travel Writer and Journalist
‘HOT WOMEN AT MENOPAUSE’ LAUNCHES A CONFERENCE FOR WOMEN AT MENOPAUSE AND MIDLIFE!

Hot Women at Menopause is launching its inaugural conference on Saturday 9 February 2019. The event, aimed at supporting women whose lives have been affected by menopause, will take place at The Lansdowne Hotel, Eastbourne. Tickets on sale now via the website hotwomenatmenopause.com

Confirmed guest speakers include:

• Jo Fairley, Green & Black’s Co-Founder, author of The Beauty Bible, on menopause and skincare
• Kathy Abernethy, Chair of the British Menopause Society on the latest research and treatments for menopause, sponsored by SYLK
• Deborah Garlick from Henpicked on menopause in the workplace, employee rights and how employers can offer support

There will be a range of mind, body and soul workshops on Breast Health, Personal Style, Singing for the Soul, Going Vegan for the Menopause, Finding Your Inner Calm, Sex & the Menopause; a drop-in nutrition clinic with Kate Arnold, Nutrition Consultant, specialising in gastrointestinal health and fatigue disorders; a Menopause/Midlife Listening Project for women to share their stories about midlife and menopause. Plus, a nutritious healthy lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

Hot Women at Menopause is the brainchild of Jane Midwinter, Executive Coach and Menopause Advocate, a re-directed headteacher and leader in education. “My mission is campaigning for open and positive conversations about menopause, brokering relevant and helpful information for women, their colleagues, employers, employees, and their families, in the firm belief that this will lead to a reduction in work absenteeism, improved confidence, raised performance and self-fulfillment.”

“I am joining forces with other women locally and nationally to change the menopause conversation, bust the taboo that it is and ensure greater recognition of the wisdom and potential of women at all stages of their lives. It’s time to wave our fans of menopause awareness!”

The team of ‘hot women’ hosting the conference and set to tackle the menopause taboo are Jane Midwinter, Executive Coach and Menopause Advocate, Kate Arnold, Kate Arnold Nutrition, and Maggie K de Monde, Singer, Songwriter and Performer.

Tickets are just £75, on sale now at hotwomenatmenopause.com

About Jane Midwinter – Founder of Hot Women at Menopause
In November 2016, I gave up my career in Education to care for my husband, Peter, who had been diagnosed with throat cancer. I then set up Midwinter Consultancy and am the founder of ‘Hot Women At Menopause’.

For several years I had been peri-menopausal with just a few hot flushes and mood swings. During Peter’s illness, menopause hit me like a tidal wave! I suffered with many symptoms, including fatigue, emotional outbursts, an increase in headaches and migraines and severe hot flushes which occurred many times during the day and throughout the night, leading to acute insomnia.

I began to research my menopause symptoms and was faced with confusing information. The more I researched and spoke to people, the more I became aware that menopause was a taboo subject! I found a massive lack of understanding and support for women; nothing in place to educate and prepare younger women, and few policies and guidelines to support working women and their employers.

In the spring of 2017, I met Debbie Isepp, proprietor of The Beach Kitchen, over a delicious breakfast and a massive hot flush! This is where the idea to host an event for women at midlife and menopause was born.

I decided I would use the skills I had developed as a leader in education, supporting and growing individuals and teams, improving outcomes and opportunities for all. I knew that the skills I had successfully used before could now be used to support women at menopause and midlife, empowering them at this challenging time of their lives. Learning that 45% of women say they feel their menopause symptoms have had a negative impact on their work and 47% who have needed to take a day off work due to menopause symptoms say they wouldn’t tell their employers the real reason, I believe there is much work to be done.

Through Debbie I met up with a number of dynamic business and entrepreneurial women: Maggie K Le Monde, whose son I had taught years before, is hosting one of the workshops at the conference. Maggie enjoyed chart success in the ‘80s and is about to release her new disco track “To Hell” produced by Hifi Sean (ex Soup Dragons)! Maggie is an encourager and supporter as well as a workshop host and has helped shape Hot Women At Menopause from the beginning. Kate Arnold, Nutrition Consultant, has been hugely involved from the start and co-hosts the Hot Women Facebook page with me, contributing her own articles, expertise and experience, and Catherine Clifford, whose children I had also taught years before, is sponsoring the venue – the beautiful and recently refurbished Lansdowne Hotel, right on Eastbourne seafront!

According to the British Menopause Society, 23% of women feel more isolated at this time. 51% of women say that their menopause had affected their sex lives and 38% of partners say they feel helpless when it comes to supporting their partner through the menopause.

I have met, spoken with and coached many women and have undertaken significant research about the impact of menopause. One woman said she felt that there is a lot of support for pregnant women and heaps of information for girls about puberty, but in contrast, very little support for women during menopause. Another said they felt they were misunderstood and not listened to, both at home and at work, and some women even said they felt invisible at times. One remarked that she wished there had been something like this conference for her mother, because her mother had thought she was going mad.

What all the women look forward to is the opportunity to meet other women face to face, in a positive, comfortable environment, where they can consider new information and ideas, have fun and share their stories.

Sponsorship opportunities for businesses
Jane is currently seeking sponsorship for the following areas:

• Contributing towards the inaugural conference expenses
• Providing concession tickets, i.e. for women who are full-time carers
• Sponsoring a place/places for an employee/employees
• Continuing the momentum of support for local women – aiming to be as inclusive as possible – with forums, events, coaching and mentoring
• Hosting monthly menopause cafés with guest speakers.
• Planning the 2020 conference!In return for sponsoring Hot Women At Menopause, sponsors’ products or services will be advertised through a menu of opportunities, including banners/signs, logo recognition/placement on their social media channels and website, stand space and/or event swag.

Contact jane @hotwomenatmenopause.com or 07545 309200 for further information

Tickets are just £75, on sale now at hotwomenatmenopause.com