Women's Health Cafes return

A new format for Women’s Health Cafés will offer a more diverse programme of discussion topics and help more colleagues access support.

From this semester, the events – facilitated by the Women@Reading Staff Network - will offer a mix of open sessions and expert-led discussions, drawing on the research community at the University.

In a move to increase accessibility, events will be held both online and in person across various venues, ensuring all three UK campuses are visited throughout the year.

Semester 1 schedule

• Wednesday 9 October 2024, 12:30 – 14:00: Open session (Library, Whiteknights campus)
• Tuesday 22 October 2024, 13:00 – 13:50: Focus on breast cancer, featuring guest speaker Nazanin Derakhshan, Professor of Experimental Psychopathology and Founder and Director of the Centre for Building Resilience in Breast Cancer (BRiC)  (online)
• Thursday 21 November 2024, 12:00 – 12:50: Open session (Staff Room, L16 first floor, London Road campus)
• Thursday 5 December 2024, 13:00 – 13:50: Focus on menopause, featuring guest speakers Herpreet Sharma, Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice and Professor Parveen Yaqoob, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (online)
• Wednesday 15 January 2025, 12:30 – 14:00: Open session (Library, Whiteknights campus)

Looking ahead to Semester 2, the Health Cafés will explore topics such as reproductive health, mental health and long-term and chronic conditions. The Greenlands campus will also host a Health Café, ensuring all UK campuses are represented in the programme. A full schedule will be available closer to the time.

Anna Ziomek, Lecturer in English for Academic Purposes and Co-Chair of Women@Reading, said, "We're excited about our diverse schedule for this year. By alternating between open sessions and themed discussions, we hope to provide both peer support and expert insights on crucial women's health topics."

The Health Cafés welcome all members of the University community who wish to develop their awareness of women's health issues and their impact in the workplace. Previous sessions have covered topics such as menopause, IVF treatment, caring responsibilities and experiences with cancer.

For events in the Library, you can claim a 50% discount on your first drink.

All those who are on the Women@Reading Teams have been sent diary invites for the events for the first Semester (including links to the online meetings). Further information, including links for online sessions, can be found on the Women's Health channel on Microsoft Teams.