Holland Barrett invest over £4m in women’s health
Holland & Barrett, the UK’s leading health and wellness retailer, is investing over £4 million into its women’s health offer, backed by a new three-year Wellness Commitment.
This follows YouGov research from Holland & Barrett which reveals that over a third of women (35 per cent) say there is a lack of education or readily available, trusted support and guidance on women’s health issues.
Its Women’s Wellness Commitment builds on its long-standing awareness campaigns and research around menopause and goes further to address four key areas: democratising access to trusted support, closing the research gap, enabling health equity and leading in product innovation with women’s needs in mind.
It comes at a time when gynaecological conditions were rated the number one issue for 100,000 respondents to the government’s Women’s Health strategy. Holland & Barrett’s research found 60 per cent of women agree there needs to be more access to information and support on women’s health, with a third (31 per cent) stating they were last equipped with information on their cycle and hormones when at school, or not at all.
Holland & Barrett is investing in several new initiatives including training over 600 Women’s Health Coaches to offer free, personalised support and signposting on women’s hormone health – from first period to last and beyond. Available in almost every store, H&B’s Women’s Health Coaches have had expanded training created by medical professionals on the menstrual cycle, including common symptoms, nutrition, gut health, sleep, mood and more. All 4,000 H&B store colleagues have also been trained to offer guidance and personalised solutions around women’s health including pain, bloating, and vitamins for maintaining hormone health.
A free menstrual health video helpline in partnership with the Endometriosis Foundation and Menopause Mandate will see trained nurses offer further support and guidance on the hormone cycle and any symptoms. The specialist nurses can also help prepare individuals for a GP consultation and offer support for those living with chronic conditions such as, endometriosis, PCOS and fibroids.
Tamara Rajah, CEO H&B Wellness Solutions & Chief Transformation Officer at Holland & Barrett, said: “Women’s health has been under-served for too long. Whilst we have championed better support for menopause for over 50 years, there has remained a gap in awareness and support for wider hormonal and menstrual health. Being on every high street, we are ideally placed to normalise conversations around women’s health for women of all ages, from periods to fertility, endometriosis and more, then to peri menopause and menopause. In doing so we can support the health system and the national women’s health strategy, helping to break down stigmas and taboos around these topics and make sure every girl and woman knows of the available support.”
The Commitment will kick-off with a multi-channel awareness campaign on hormone health. ‘Own Every Day Of The Month’ which aims to empower women to optimise their overall wellness by understanding the rhythm of their hormone cycle across their lifespan and break down associated stigmas.
The retailer has also worked alongside partners and supporters to develop its Women’s Wellness Commitment and initiatives, including leading charity Wellbeing of Women. Holland & Barrett and Wellbeing of Women have announced the extension of their Women’s Health Community Fund, which offers donations of up to £5,000 to grass roots community groups, offering women’s health awareness programmes to under-served communities in the UK.
Janet Lindsay, Chief Executive at Wellbeing of Women, said: “We’re thrilled to grow our partnership with Holland & Barrett and continue with our commitment to ending health inequalities for women through the expansion of the Women’s Health Community Fund.
“The fund welcomes applications from community organisations improving education and access to information about menstruation and the menopause. It will provide more money for community groups and leaders to offer a trusted and safe space to discuss women’s health issues, provide quality information in the way that best suits the concerns and needs of the community and break down the shame, stigma and silence, which is key to empowering women to get the help they need”.
Alongside expert advice and support, Holland & Barrett offers an extended range of products designed to support with the symptoms experienced through the menstrual cycle. Customers can also find a hormone guide packed with expert advice to support women at every stage of their hormone cycle and the H&B Health Hub has been updated to include further advice and guidance on a wide range of women’s health topics.
