7 October 2026
This October is Menopause Awareness Month, with Menopause Awareness Day on 18 October focusing on chronic pain at midlife. To mark the occasion, we are hosting a drop-in Menopause Café on Monday 19 October 2026 in the Borders General Hospital dining room from 9am to 1pm.
For more than two years, our staff Menopause Cafés have provided a welcoming and supportive space where people can come together to share experiences of menopause and perimenopause, ask questions and realise they are not alone. To mark Menopause Awareness Month, we are opening the event to anyone interested in coming along including members of the public.
Supporting women to access the right information and support at the right time is also a key part of our Clinical Strategy. Work is underway to develop a Women's Health Hub that will help make support more joined up and easier to access, bringing services together so women can access the right support at the right time without having to navigate multiple services or repeatedly tell their story.
Previous attendees say the café has helped them feel more connected, given them confidence to seek support from their GP and improved understanding among colleagues, friends and family members.
Katie Finlay, Healthy Working Lives Adviser and the organiser of our Menopause Café, said: "One of the things that stays with me is how often people say, 'I thought it was just me.' While we're hearing more about menopause and perimenopause than ever before, many people still feel alone with what they're experiencing. Often, it's not the physical symptoms that are hardest to talk about but the impact on mental wellbeing.
"The Menopause Café gives people the opportunity to talk openly, break down stigma, seek support and realise that they do not have to face these experiences alone."
One past participant said: "Attending the Menopause Café reminded me how powerful it can be to come together and share experiences. It felt like a safe and comfortable space where we could speak openly about the realities of perimenopause and menopause without fear of being judged or dismissed. Listening to others and realising that many of us are facing similar challenges was both reassuring and empowering. I left feeling stronger, more connected and grateful for the support and understanding the group provides."
Another attendee explained how attending the café gave them the confidence to seek help: "After coming along to the café, I finally made that appointment to see my GP. After talking with Katie and the other people in the café, I felt more confident in being able to talk about my symptoms, telling the GP that I think I am in perimenopause and asking about treatment options. I have started treatment and am now starting to feel like my old self again."
The café has also welcomed people who want to better understand the experiences of colleagues, friends and family members. A man who attended the café shared: "As a man, I attended the Menopause Café to learn, listen and better understand the experiences of others. It provided a space to have honest conversations, ask questions and gain perspectives I might not otherwise have heard. Better understanding benefits everyone, not just those experiencing menopause directly. I also valued the opportunity to discuss how we can improve awareness, understanding and support in our workplaces and communities."