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 14th September 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 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
10th September 12-1pm
Dr Jo Ritchie
Join on the day here
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.