Leicestershire Netball Development Officer (NDO) Megan Sayers has worked with local partners to introduce a new eight-week NETBALLHer pilot programme offering women menopause education, followed by a Walking Netball session.
Supported by Active Together, Active Women (Leicester City in the Community) and Leicestershire County Netball Association, Megan’s vision has not only come to life but is driving positive change for women in Leicester.
At Highfields Community Centre in inner city Leicester, a group of 20 women meet weekly on Mondays to learn about different menopause-related topics, providing them with a space to connect, share their own experiences and ask questions.
The joy exuding from the group of women, the majority of whom have a South Asian background, has developed over the weeks as they have grown to trust and support one another while delving into topics such as breast health, hormone changes and mental health challenges during menopause. This programme aims to enhance the understanding of menopause, remove the stigma surrounding it, and empower them to talk about the topics confidently when needed.
Each week, peer-led discussions facilitated by trained hosts cover essential menopause topics such as changes to your body, dietary guidance, and tips for wellbeing. They lead the women in practical activities that can benefit their health and teach them content that can be applied to their everyday lives and shared with others in their families and communities. The content has been tailored to meet the needs of women with South Asian heritage, as the way women experience changes through menopause can differ across different backgrounds.
Sadi has attended each week so far and she shared how relevant this opportunity has been for her, “This is a fantastically good space to come, to tool oneself up with knowledge that is appropriate for my health, and very specifically to do with perimenopause, which funnily I didn’t know very much about. It’s a bit embarrassing so it’s not the sort of thing I would have gone to someone about specifically or specially. It is quite embarrassing sometimes to realise how little we actually know about ourselves.”
The pilot programme has been a huge success for all involved and has inspired many of the ladies who have attended to take up Walking Netball, or to start their own women’s health conversations with women in their families and social circles who are also experiencing menopause. There is already a waiting list for the next cohort!
The Walking Netball following each classroom session has been hugely popular among the women attending, as Sadi puts it; “The Walking Netball at the moment is the highlight of my life!”
Many have never played netball before and counted themselves “out of sport,” so this opportunity to learn the rules and improve their netball skills each week has been another great space and way for the group to engage with each other.
Participating in Walking Netball aligns with health advice highlighting the importance of being active through menopause because moving more can relieve symptoms.
Megan has big plans with the learnings from this pilot programme, thinking about ways a similar scheme could be tailored to a different age group of females such as teenage girls around puberty support, or women returning from pregnancy.
NETBALLHer has women and girls’ health at its core and offers inspiration and support to players, coaches, officials, volunteers, teachers and parents, so that we can all be equipped to play our part in creating female-first environments.
Head to the NETBALLHer website here for more inspiring stories and content about female health.
If you are an England Netball member, take advantage of our FREE NETBALLHer Learning Offer and go through topics like menopause, learning about each life stage and how this impacts the women and girls in and around our sport.
If you are not already an England Netball member, you can join the membership today! There is a membership type to suit everyone, all with access to exclusive member benefits, including the NETBALLHer Learning Offer.
