Menopause training vest raises awareness of symptoms
Staff and students at Gower College Swansea were encouraged to get a little hot under the collar when they had an opportunity to try out a Menovest TM
The Menovest TM is a menopause training tool, developed by Over The Bloody Moon, that has been specially designed by Thread Design to replicate the sensations a person feels when having a so-called menopausal ‘hot flush’.
Among the volunteers were College Principal Mark Jones, Director of Skills and Business Development Paul Kift, Catering Manager Neil Baker, Learning Area Manager Chris Williams, Library Manager Mark Ludlam, plus lecturers and students from Sport and Engineering.
“In our quest to remain a menopause friendly organisation, we were delighted to welcome Amanda Lee from Theramex, supporters of the development of the vest, who brought along a couple of the Menovests for people to try on,” says Wellbeing Manager Lorraine Evans. “We hear a lot about hot flushes, but it’s not very often that men and young people get to actually experience one”.
“Menopause should not be a taboo subject so it was great to bring the Menovests to the College and to have these valuable interactions with people who might not have experienced anything like this before. It was certainly a ‘hot topic’ of conversation and will hopefully lead to more understanding and empathy around the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.
“Many of our volunteers commented that they found the experience a little uncomfortable after a few minutes, so will now have a better understanding of what it can be like to experience these symptoms whilst going about your everyday routine at home or at work.”
The Menovest is a revolutionary training tool which has been worn by broadcasters, presenters, celebrities and politicians
Gower College Swansea has undertaken a range of menopause related activities for staff in recent years including regular Menopause Cafes, opportunities to meet with menopause specialists and seminars on how to manage menopause in the workplace.