The practical heart of our work is the information evening: a gathering of women in a local Coatbridge venue — usually a community hall, library space, or church hall — where the lights are bright, the tea is on, and the conversation is honest.
We cover topics that women tell us they have never had explained to them properly: what perimenopause actually is and when it typically begins, how changing levels of oestrogen and progesterone affect sleep, mood, concentration, joints, and long-term health; what the current evidence says about HRT and who it is and is not suitable for; and how to get the most from a short GP appointment when you are not sure how to put what you are experiencing into words.
Speakers at our events include nurses and pharmacists with specialist knowledge, educators trained by nationally recognised menopause education networks, and occasionally women willing to share their own experience — always with the emphasis on evidence and the understanding that no two women's menopause is identical.
Beyond the evenings themselves, we produce and distribute written resources that women can take home, share with a partner or colleague, or return to months later when a new symptom appears. We are present in the wider Coatbridge community throughout the year — at health fairs, at community events, and in conversations with local employers and organisations — working to reduce the stigma that still surrounds open discussion of this stage of life in many families and workplaces across Monklands.
Everything we do is free, because we believe that a woman's access to basic health information should never depend on her postcode or her income.
Free, open-access evening events for any woman in Coatbridge and the Monklands area who wants clear, evidence-based information about perimenopause and menopause.
Held in accessible community venues across Coatbridge, each evening focuses on a specific theme — such as sleep and fatigue, hormonal changes and HRT, mental health and mood, bone and cardiovascular health, or navigating the NHS — with a short presentation by a knowledgeable speaker followed by generous time for questions. Every attendee receives a plain-language resource pack to take home. Events are free and require no prior booking, so that no practical barrier prevents a woman from walking through the door on any given evening.
A focused session series walking women through the full range of evidence-based approaches to managing menopause symptoms so they can have better-informed conversations with their own GP or practice nurse.
Know Your Options was developed in direct response to attendee feedback that many women felt overwhelmed by conflicting information — online, in the press, and from well-meaning friends — about what was safe, effective, and available on the NHS. Each session presents current clinical evidence plainly and honestly, covering licensed medications including HRT, lifestyle factors, and complementary approaches without advocating for any single path. Participants leave with a personal question checklist designed to make their next GP appointment noticeably more productive.
A practical session helping women understand their legal protections at work under the Equality Act 2010 and how to raise menopause-related needs with employers in Scotland.
Many women in Coatbridge are in employment and have experienced their perimenopause symptoms affecting their performance, attendance, or confidence at work — without knowing they may be legally entitled to reasonable adjustments. This session, delivered in plain language without legal jargon, covers the protections that apply, how to raise the subject with a line manager or HR department, and what a reasonable adjustment request might realistically look like. We also signpost to specialist employment advice services for women who need further one-to-one support.
We actively connect women with NHS Lanarkshire services, national menopause charities, mental health support, and one another — because accurate information alone is only part of what women need.
At every event we maintain an up-to-date signposting board with details of local and national services: NHS Lanarkshire women's health services, Menopause Support Scotland, mental health and counselling resources, financial advice, and community organisations active in North Lanarkshire. We also create deliberate space for women to connect informally with others in the area who are at a similar stage of life. Peer support — the simple knowledge that someone down the road in Coatbridge understands exactly what you are going through — is something no leaflet can fully replicate, and we make it a considered part of everything we do.