Women’s health campaigners call for better awareness and support in Suffolk after sell-out event
Women’s health campaigners in Suffolk say more needs to be done to improve awareness and support, after a sell-out event highlighted strong demand across the county.
Around 300 people attended the “Let’s Talk Women’s Health” event held at The Hold in Ipswich, bringing together residents, speakers and organisations to discuss a range of issues, including endometriosis, menopause and access to local services.
Organisers say the response shows a clear need for better education and more accessible support.
Jen Evans, co-director and founder of Let’s Talk Women’s Health CIC, said families and communities are keen to understand better women’s health and where to turn for help.
She said: “Women and everybody are open to being educated, and they want to know what is happening to women’s bodies, and they want to know where they can go in Suffolk to get good quality advice and support.”
Ms Evans said the wide range of attendees, from teenagers to women in their 80s, also demonstrated how relevant these conversations are across generations, and reinforced the need for continued awareness and education in Suffolk.
The group is now calling for continued focus on improving understanding, not just for those directly affected, but across workplaces, families and communities.
Ms Evans said greater awareness could make a significant difference, particularly for conditions like endometriosis, which affects around one in ten women.
She said: “If you know more about that condition and that disease, then you're able to support that work colleague a lot better than if you didn't know.
“That work colleague might not want to be talking about their personal circumstances… but actually by educating yourself… then you can support that colleague a lot better.”
A key aim of the initiative is to ensure people know what help is available locally, with organisers deliberately working with Suffolk-based speakers and organisations.
Ms Evans said: “We were really keen… to make sure that the speakers and the session hosts and the stall holders are all local… so that our attendees know that these people are on their doorstep.”
Impact on people
Organisers say the feedback from attendees has underlined the real-world impact of the event, with some describing it as life-changing. Jen Evans said one comment in particular stayed with her.
She said: “The one lady who walked past me said to me, ‘You’re changing women’s lives and you don’t even know it.’”
Ms Evans said moments like that reflect how important it is to create spaces where people can learn more about women’s health and feel less alone in their experiences. She said the event was designed not just to inform, but to empower people to better support themselves and others.
She said: “Every person that was sat in that audience… would have left with a nugget of knowledge… that may well help a friend, a colleague, a loved one.”
Next steps
The organisation says it now wants to build on the momentum from the Ipswich event — with plans to continue raising awareness and expanding access to information across the county.
Ms Evans added: “Every person that was sat in that audience… would have left with a nugget of knowledge… that may well help a friend, a colleague, a loved one.”
Despite the strong turnout, organisers acknowledged that cost can still be a barrier to access, and say future work will focus on reaching as many people as possible.
Further events are expected to be announced as part of ongoing efforts to improve understanding and support for women’s health across Suffolk.