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.
Movement in Menopause
Movement in Menopause
Menopause Café
Mental Health and Menopause
Sex and Menopause
Getting the best out of your conversations with your GP
Gentle Yoga - 12 week block at RSH
12/06/2025 5.15pm
Jules McGill - Aluna Wellbeing LMS Booking Link
23/06/2025 12.30pm Jules McGill - Aluna Wellbeing Meeting Recording
25/06/2025 Health and Wellbeing Team Advocate SERIIWellbeing Roadshow
03/07/2025 11am Dr Cat O'Callaghan and Dr Jo Ritchie Room C PRH Education Centre
06/08/2025 12.30pm Dr Jo Ritchie Meeting Recording
01/09/2025 12.30pm Dr Mel Thompson Teams Link
08/09/2025 5.15pm Jenna Blair Booking Link
Osteoporosis and Menopause 03/10/2025
Lifestyle Support through Menopause
03/11/2025 12.30pm Dr Mel Thompson Teams Link
Pelvic Health and Menopause
04/12/2025 12.30pm Linda Van Doorn Teams Link
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.
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 any menopause
How acupuncture helps the menopause
Exploring acupuncture points they 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.
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.
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.
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.