The Youth Sport Trust, a national children’s charity that builds brighter futures by improving young people’s health and wellbeing, has been awarded the Menopause Friendly Accreditation.
Founded in 1995, the charity provides opportunities for over 2 million children every year by empowering them and equipping educators with the life-changing benefits of PE, play and sport.
Based at Loughborough University, the charity has just 115 employees with an average age of 39 and a male/female ratio of 32%/68%.
Around one-third of the workforce is based remotely across the UK and all employees have a hybrid working element to their role meaning effective communication of ideas and best practice is vital to success.
The Youth Sport Trust believes in collective ownership of priorities, encouraging collaboration, sharing best practices and fostering high levels of job satisfaction.
To ensure all colleagues can benefit from its staff wellbeing initiatives, the Youth Sport Trust uses online communication channels and non-work-related group chats to help build relationships and promote quick decision-making.
The Menopause Friendly Accreditation, established by Henpicked: Menopause In The Workplace recognises high standards and proven practices that embrace menopause in the workplace.
Industry-recognised, it is the only accreditation that sets clear standards which must be met. As such, it is truly meaningful and considered as a mark of excellence for menopause in the workplace.
To achieve The Menopause Friendly Accreditation, the charity was assessed by an Independent Panel and had to demonstrate evidence of its effectiveness in five key areas, namely: culture, policies and practices, training, engagement and working environment.
Encouraging people to talk freely has been fundamental to the Youth Sports Trust becoming menopause friendly with a complete change in its culture seeing this once taboo subject now openly discussed.
Equally important, is the total buy-in from its Senior Leadership Team to the education, training and support programmes.
Now when staff identify menopause symptoms, they are able to seek support and receive help, as a direct result of the menopause-friendly work being done.
“Over the last two years, the increased awareness of menopause has been welcomed at the Youth Sport Trust,” says Alison Oliver, Youth Sport Trust Chief Executive.
“This important, but not often talked about, issue directly affects a high proportion of our workforce, me included. Thanks to an internal awareness campaign, we have noticed a change in the culture and the subject is now openly talked about.
We have some great examples of where employees have felt able to raise concerns and suitable adjustments have been made.
We are very lucky to have a group of dedicated Menopause Champions working to drive our agenda forward and gaining the Menopause Friendly Accreditation is a testament to their excellent work.”
“It was clear to the Independent Panel that the Youth Sport Trust has created an environment where menopausal symptoms are recognised, discussed and managed with the same level of support as any other health issue,” says Deborah Garlick, CEO and founder of Henpicked:
Menopause in the Workplace. “It’s excellent to see this cultural shift promoting the overall wellbeing of its employees and ensuring a truly supportive and inclusive workplace.”