Page 19 - HARCA Life Autumn 2017

HARCA LIFE - Automon 2017 OUTPUT.qxp_Layout 1 20/09/2017 12:39 Page 19
COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY

Founder Penny,

volunteer Lisa and
regular Mumtaz tell us
more about Poplar’s
HotSpots Menopause & Women’s
Wellbeing group

Penny, you started ‘Hot Spots’. What’s it all Lisa, you volunteer for Hot Spots. Who can get
about? involved?
Menopause is a major phase of women’s lives, All women, any age. It would be great to get some
and it can be really difficult. As women we talk younger women along, they’ll experience it one
about everything but ‘that’, and yet we all go day and their relatives could be going through it
through it. now. There’s so much wisdom to share.
Hot Spots provides a space where women can What does the future hold?
come together to share experiences. It’s an We meet once a month, and we’re looking at
opportunity to talk about where we’re at in our running wellbeing workshops in the evenings or
lives, feel listened to, find ways to cope and learn on Saturdays. Lisa is putting together a quarterly
from each other. It’s all a bit ‘Loose Women’.
newsletter about what we’re up to and women’s
We also invite professional speakers, covering wellbeing info.
everything from Mindfulness to Stress Hot Spots meets 12.30-2pm, first Friday each
Incontinence. We’ve got great support from local month at The Cabin. Chat to Jayne 0203 069 7401
GP Dr. Sarah Pitkanen from the Aberfeldy
Practice. It’s a great opportunity to chat with a
doc over a cuppa.

Why did you start the group?
I was only 37 years with 2 boys when things
started changing. Suddenly I was on a
rollercoaster - I felt like I was a failure, I was
grieving. People call it the change, but what was I
changing into? How do you explain what you feel
when you don’t know what you’re feeling? How
do I tell my partner? My kids? There were no
answers, it was all just ‘go home dear and get on
with it’. I couldn’t have waited for it to go away,
it’s my life. So I set up Hot Spots.

Mumtaz, what have the sessions meant to you?
What would I have done otherwise?
People get so ashamed, hiding it, being
told to ‘get on with it’. But talking is what
we need. Before I found this group, I
thought this isn’t normal. I wanted to be
back to how I was. Women are busy, we
live longer, we have to look out for and
after ourselves. Information’s out there,
but it’s about changing things for
ourselves.

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