Fire service wins two national awards for menopause support

01/10/2025

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service has been recognised at a national awards ceremony for the commitment and determination to support colleagues going through the menopause.

The Menopause and Menstruation Friendly Employer Awards, held on Wednesday September 24, celebrated organisations and individuals who have succeeded in providing support, solutions and resources that normalise menopause in the workplace.

The Service won the award for the ‘Most Menopause Friendly Working Environment (Public Sector)’, an award that recognises an organisation that has made real and practical changes to its workplace environment to support menopause.

It was also awarded a Highly Commended certificate in the Menopause Friendly Accredited Employer of the Year category.

Hayley Douglas, Assistant Director for Communication and Engagement and the Service’s menopause champion, was individually recognised and awarded with the prestigious Carolyn Lazarus award for Best Individual Contribution. The award is a very special accolade given to an individual who has made a significant impact on changing the way people think about and feel about menopause in or out of the workplace.

Upon receiving her reward, Hayley said: “I am so incredibly proud and humbled to have won the individual best contribution award surrounded on the day by so many other committed individuals, passionate about driving change in their own organisations to support those going through menopause. For the Service to win most menopause friendly working environment is thanks to all those who have provided feedback, shared their stories to help us understand what we can do better to support those going through menopause and engage so openly and enthusiastically in the menopause awareness training we ran.

“Winning these awards validates all the work we have done over the past few years to understand the impact of menopause symptoms on the many different roles people do in our fire service and to ensure the right support is in place. Our workplace is now somewhere that conversations about menopause and the impact of symptoms can be had without embarrassment or fear of being treated differently. We know we have more to do but to have our work to date recognised and celebrated in this way is fantastic.”

The Service introduced mandatory awareness training for all colleagues, updated guidance on menopause, introduced risk assessments to support workplace adjustments and put up posters promoting common symptoms. It has also improved toilet and welfare provisions for firefighters at incidents and ensured period protection packs are available in all toilet cubicles and on fire engines.

Chief Fire Officer Matthew Warren praised Hayley alongside colleagues in the Service for these achievements. He said: “The work that Hayley has done over the past few years to improve our support for those going through menopause and make the subject of menopause in our workplace something that everyone feels more comfortable to speak openly about is amazing,” said Matthew.

“Feedback from colleagues has been extremely positive about the impact the work is having and the reassurance it is offering. We have made menopause awareness training mandatory and colleagues have engaged positively, many talking about their own experiences of menopause, not just as individuals going through it but as partners of women going through menopause too.

“Hayley’s work hasn’t just been for the benefit of our fire service, she has also inspired and supported other fire and rescue services improve their menopause support. This has included instigating and supporting a national conference on menopause for fire and rescue service colleagues across the UK run by the National Fire Chief’s Council, which ran for a third year last month with over 100 delegates. For Hayley, and Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service to be recognised on a national stage for work in this area is incredible and we are so proud.”