A GROUP of women have set up a Menopause café in a town centre to provide women a place to share their experiences.

'Menopause Cafe' is a pop up event that takes place every month at the Bakery at No.4, in 36 Woolpack Yard, Kendal.

The event encourages women to open up about their symptoms and to improve support mechanisms through a cup of coffee or tea.

Dr Catherine Munro, a GP at James Cochrane Practice is one of the women behind the event.

The GP, who has completed advanced training in menopause, wants to provide her knowledge to local women.

She said: "I knew I couldn't possibly provide menopause support to the whole area so one of the things I thought about doing was doing talks and setting up a café. 

"The cafés were initially set up in Scotland because we know that women have a higher incidence of suicide in perimenopause and the cafés were a good way to support people, building relationships and the community.

Dr Munro said she doesn't want the café just to be a place for 'medical advice.'

She said: "It's about improving support mechanisms within the community and therefore support people's mental health through that way as well as getting people to ask questions."

The Westmorland Gazette: Menopause yoga event.Menopause yoga event. (Image: Jumpy James)

Lou Curry, a Yoga Instructor, that has been supporting women dealing with menopause through yoga sessions teamed up with Dr Munro to set up the Menopause Café.

She said: "The cafés are for people to talk, to share and to listen to other's experiences. It is not an event where people come to get information, it is about being in community together and having a space to talk and to listen.

"Bakery at No.4 have been absolutely brilliant in letting us using their facilities. 

"We are having people joining every day who want to access to knowledge, support and practises that can support them holistically and not just through medication. 

Dr Munro described that the feedback has been 'incredible'.

She said: "Word is getting around and more people are wanting to come and share their experiences.

"It is a Kendal movement in menopause."

The next Menopause Cafe event will take place on Monday, May 29.

The group has set up a private Facebook group titled South Lakes Menopause & Wellbeing Hub where women can access information about their following events.