Dr Louise Newson Launches Crowdfunding Campaign for The Menopause Charity

Published: 23rd September 2020

Menopause specialist Dr Louise Newson has launched a new Crowdfunding campaign for The Menopause Charity, which she hopes will change millions of women’s lives for the better.

“The charity is desperately needed,” said Dr Newson. “The plan is to support women with evidence-based knowledge – and help educate doctors about the perimenopause and menopause. So many women are getting the wrong advice, or left to struggle alone.”

The Crowdfunder, which launched on September 23^rd, will run for four weeks, with an initial target of £10,000 to set up The Menopause Charity website. The website will be an essential guide to all things menopause, with accurate medical information on the huge range of symptoms and the safest hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The charity recognises that a holistic approach to wellness matters for women too.

Dr Newson, who runs the Newson Health Menopause and Wellbeing Centre in Stratford-upon-Avon, wants to raise more and has bigger plans. “We also want to provide a professionally staffed helpline for menopausal women. I see so many women in my clinic every week, on their knees, who have been unable to get the treatment they need.” she said. She has already worked with Fourteenfish on menopause education modules for doctors, and teaching medical students and practitioners about the latest menopause care is a key part of the charity’s outreach. The charity also has ambitions to run a professionally-staffed Menopause Bus to go into communities which are often excluded from menopause care.

The Menopause Charity trustees include Professor Matthew Cripps, Director of Covid-19 Behaviour Change Unit and Director of Sustainable Healthcare, who joins in a personal capacity; Vanessa Barnes, a solicitor with a Masters in medical law and ethics; and Dr Radhika Vohra who also translates menopause advice and videos into Punjabi.

Charity ambassadors include menopause and wellness expert Liz Earle and television presenters Davina McCall and Lorraine Kelly.

The Crowdfunder will kick off this much-needed project which will bring this community of women and health professionals together for the first time to campaign for better menopause care.

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THE FACTS: why we need The Menopause Charity now

• 20 per cent of menopausal women leave their jobs due to symptoms.
• 90 per cent of women experience menopausal symptoms but only 12 per cent get help in the form of HRT
• 66 per cent of menopausal women were offered anti-depressants instead of HRT in one survey, after complaining of low mood and anxiety.
• Health inequalities affect Black, Asian and low-income communities disproportionally in menopause, and the charity will aim for inclusion.
• The long-term health benefits of HRT include protection against heart disease, osteoporosis and dementia, and we need to get this message across.
• Many women are still being refused HRT by GPs. The charity wants to provide expertise so women can access the safest HRT on the NHS, along with accurate explanations of benefits and risks.