A barrier-breaking menopause festival in Perth has inspired an outbreak of similar celebrations across the globe.
The Fair City project, which began last year, was the first of its kind in world.
The successful Menopause Cafe, which encouraged men and women to get together to share their experiences of the rarely talked about third stage of life, spawned a festival which kicked off in Perth last month.
Now organisers are in the process of securing charity status for the cafe as a social franchise.
The venture is gradually being replicated throughout the UK, thanks to a guide produced by the Perth team to help other individuals, organisations and workplaces run their own events.
As a result, Menopause Cafes are now popping up in Edinburgh, Sheffield, Hampshire and Aylesbury.
The first cafe outside the UK has taken place more than 3,000 miles away in Toronto, Canada.
Organisers say employers are finally waking up to the importance of talking about the menopause, with more than 30 women from Scottish and Southern Energy in Perth attending a local event. The University of Leicester is planning a similar gathering.
Co-organiser Rachel Weiss, of sponsors Rowan Consultancy, said: “When we organised the first ever Menopause Cafe, we knew there would be interest but we had no idea how much demand there would be for this sort of forum.
“The Menopause Cafes, and now the festival, have kickstarted some significant conversations about what can still be a taboo subject.”
She said: “Essentially, we are seeing a gradual shift in the mindset of both women and men, that this is a topic that affects us all and that deserves discussion instead of pretending it isn’t happening, or being ashamed to talk about it.
“Having got the ball rolling in Perth, we are now focusing on supporting others to do the same, whether with small community cafes or larger workplace events.”
Locals recently voted for the Menopause Cafe to receive more than £1,000 of funding, as part of the council-run Perth Decides initiative.
The festival continues on Saturday, April 21, with a question-and-answer session hosted by Dr Laura Jarvis of the Tayside Menopause Clinic, followed by a sing-a-long with singer/songwriter Debra Salem.
The last session will take place on Saturday, May 12, and features an inspirational talk by personal and professional image specialist Edith Adams.
Both events, which will be followed by a cafe, will be held at Perth Theatre from 2.15pm to 5.30pm.
