Corporate fundraising for important menopause-related causes was a key aim of the inaugural Menopause Friendly Employer Awards on September 22, 2022, organised by Deborah Garlick, founder of Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace.
One of the beneficiaries, the Daisy Network, explains how the £10,000 funding from the awards, will make a big difference to young women seeking support.
The Daisy Network is run entirely by volunteers and typically supports 400 women each year who are newly diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI), also known as Premature Menopause.
Often their first port-of-call, the Daisy Network takes their hand and guides them through the early stages of acceptance and adjustment to their changed future.
When women first come to The Daisy Network, they are offered free counselling sessions which can be a lifeline to help them come to terms with their diagnosis. Over six to eight sessions, they gain tools to help them accept their diagnosis, navigate a route forward and build resilience to overcome future hurdles such as when friends and family members fall pregnant.
“The moment you have a POI diagnosis, your life plan changes completely,” says Amy Bennie co-founder of The Daisy Network. “This can be a huge shock and especially for younger women including teenagers, this devastating news can be hard to take and difficult to move forward from.
“Our counselling sessions are hugely important and we know they can be a lifeline for women, helping them come to terms with their diagnosis and what their new future holds. The £10,000 funding from the Menopause Friendly Employer Awards will secure over 200 counselling sessions for our members which is a great relief and comfort to us. I cannot thank them enough for their generosity in helping us this way,” says Amy who also recently been granted National Lottery funding to cover the cost of further sessions.
“The Daisy Network offers extraordinary services to women who are at their most vulnerable and I applaud the selfless work of their volunteers,” says Deborah Garlick. “Alongside the in-person support and counselling, the Daisy Network works tirelessly to research and share new treatments in the fields of HRT and assisted conception while also raising awareness among GPs and the medical community to help women find support quickly after their diagnosis.
“Their heartfelt reaction when we donated £10,000 to fund counselling sessions for this coming year shows just what an impact this donation will have: I would like to thank our generous Menopause Friendly employers and the guests at our Awards for helping us raise these vital funds.”
To learn more, please visit https://www.daisynetwork.org/ and https://menopauseintheworkplace.co.uk/
