Community engagement
Building trust, creating meaningful conversations and helping residents influence the decisions that affect them.
Bedfordshire · United Kingdom
Community voice.
Patient advocate.
Women’s health champion.
I’m Anita Powell, a Bedfordshire menopause activist, patient advocate and community engagement specialist—turning lived experience into change through collaboration and honest conversation.
Community Engagement
Patient Advocacy
Women’s Health
About Anita
Lived experience, transformed into action.
I am a Bedfordshire-based community engagement advocate, patient experience consultant and menopause activist. I help communities, healthcare professionals and organisations work together in ways that are honest, inclusive and practical.
My work is rooted in listening to people whose voices are too often overlooked—and making sure their experiences help shape services, research and decisions.
What I do
Patient advocacy
Bringing lived experience into healthcare, research and pharmaceutical projects so work is grounded in real lives.
Women’s health
Speaking, consulting and creating honest conversations about menopause, health inequalities and ageing well.
Speaking & media
Contributing an authentic, accessible voice to panels, podcasts, events, interviews and public campaigns.
Media & speaking
Conversations that reach beyond the room.
BBC BreakfastThe GuardianMagic RadioBBC Three Counties RadioITN / ITVXThe Washington Post
Featured work
Listen, read and join the conversation.
Explore my podcast and recent reflections on community, advocacy, women’s health and lived experience.
Wellbeing app
SelfCare Daily
A little prompt for a better you. Explore daily self-care and gratitude prompts, reflect on your day and receive a gentle recommendation based on how you feel.
Open SelfCare DailyPodcast
Black Menopause & Beyond
Honest conversations about menopause, midlife, identity, health and the experiences of Black women—hosted by Anita Powell.
LinkedIn
From my community and advocacy work
A recent update sharing my experiences, observations and commitment to creating meaningful community change.
Read on LinkedInLinkedIn
Ideas, lessons and lived experience
Reflections from my patient advocacy, women’s health and community engagement journey.
Read on LinkedInMedia appearances
Stories, interviews and public conversations
BBC Breakfast · 2 May 2022
Talking about menopause on BBC Breakfast
Watch Anita Powell being interviewed on BBC Breakfast, sharing her lived experience and helping bring menopause into a wider national conversation.
Open the full videoMagic Radio · Menopause Month
Anita’s Menopause Month interview
Anita appears in this Magic Radio video, sharing her lived experience and perspective as part of Menopause Month.
Watch the Magic Radio interviewThe Guardian
How three women got through menopause
Anita speaks about navigating perimenopause, health inequalities and why peer support and honest conversation matter.
Read the articleITV News
More than half of Black, Asian and minority ethnic women do not feel represented
Anita shares why menopause support must better reflect women from ethnic minority and lower socio-economic communities.
Read the ITV News featureThe Washington Post
Perimenopause is having a millennial moment
Featured as co-founder of Black Women in Menopause, highlighting why public conversations must include Black women’s experiences and why trusted menopause education matters.
Read The Washington Post articleThe Globe and Mail
Menopause podcasts worth listening to
Black Menopause & Beyond was featured in The Globe and Mail’s coverage of podcasts opening up honest and inclusive conversations about menopause.
Read The Globe and Mail articleStylist
Why aren’t Black and Asian women more included in the menopause discourse?
Anita speaks about representation, misinformation and the barriers Black women can face when seeking trusted menopause information and support.
Read the Stylist featureYouTube
Watch Anita’s media appearance
A video featuring Anita Powell and her work in community engagement, lived experience and women’s health.
Watch on YouTubeBlack All Year
Menopause: the Black experience
A video conversation exploring representation, culture and the menopause experiences of Black women.
Watch the discussionMental Health Matters · After Hours
Menopause Alliance takeover
A special programme exploring menopause, mental health and the importance of community-led conversations and support.
Watch the programmeWellbeing Media TV
Menopause Myths and Truths
Anita joins the conversation to challenge menopause myths, share lived experience and explain why inclusive awareness and trusted information matter.
Watch on YouTubeBedford Independent
Queen’s Park menopause awareness events
Coverage of the two Let’s Talk Menopause and More events Anita organised for underrepresented women, bringing together experts to discuss symptoms, cultural taboos and professional support.
Read the articleAlso featured on
Broadcast and radio
- BBC Breakfast
- ITV / ITN
- Magic Radio
- BBC Three Counties Radio
Awards & recognition
Celebrating community impact and inspiration
2016
Marie Claire · Evans · Garnier
Winner of the #IamInspiring Award
Recognised for opening doors, being a positive role model and helping people and communities flourish through community radio and local engagement.
Meet the award winners2021
Bedford Independent Everyday Heroes
Campaigner of the Year nominee
Nominated for campaigning to reduce menopause stigma and for helping create new conversations, peer support and positive change for women across Bedford.
Read the nominationSpeaking & panels
Bringing lived experience into the room
Patient Centricity & Engagement · London
Host, speaker and patient voice
I have been proud to host and speak at Patient Centricity & Engagement events, bringing lived experience into conversations with patient advocates, healthcare leaders, researchers and pharmaceutical organisations.
My contributions focus on what meaningful patient involvement looks like in practice: building trust, listening to communities, improving inclusion and retention, and involving patients early enough to influence research, services and decision-making.
These events create an important space to challenge tokenism, share practical learning and make sure the people affected by healthcare decisions are treated as genuine partners.
Invite Anita to host or speak
Age of Love · Northampton
Menopause, wellbeing and relationships
Speaking alongside Dr Audrey Tang at the Age of Love event, exploring what menopause is and how its physical and emotional changes can affect relationships.
Invite Anita to speak
Wild Nutrition · 2024
Menopausing in 2024: lived experience and representation
I was a speaker at Wild Nutrition’s one-day event celebrating women’s life journeys, joining the panel “Menopausing in 2024: Improving the Lived Experiences of Women in Perimenopause and Menopause”.
We explored perimenopause and post-partum experiences, unseen barriers to getting support and why diverse women need to be represented in menopause conversations. I joined Henrietta Norton, Heather Jackson, Laura Biggs, Karen Newby and Sally Phillips for the discussion.
Read Anita’s event postIDERHA consultation · 2024
Patient and diversity & inclusion advocacy
I participated in the IDERHA/NICE Patient and Diversity & Inclusion Advocates workshop on 1 October 2024, bringing lived experience and a community perspective to discussions about inclusive health research and meaningful patient involvement.
I also reviewed the workshop report and provided feedback in December 2024, helping to ensure that patient voices and the experiences of underserved communities were reflected in the project’s learning.
Work with Anita01
Patient engagement
Panel contributor and conference speaker on meaningful patient involvement, trust, retention and inclusive research.
Invite Anita02
Women’s health
Speaking about menopause, health inequalities, representation and the importance of designing services with women.
Invite Anita03
Community leadership
Sharing practical lessons about co-design, psychological safety and building lasting trust with communities.
Invite AnitaProjects & community work
Turning conversation into collective action
BEACON
Supporting Black African and Caribbean communities to influence local health priorities and improve engagement.
Find out moreMenopause Alliance
Peer support, education and community connection for women navigating perimenopause, menopause and midlife.
Find out moreBlack Women in Menopause
Creating space for Black women’s experiences, voices and perspectives within the wider menopause conversation.
Find out moreLet’s connect
Have a project, panel or conversation in mind?
I welcome opportunities in community engagement, patient advocacy, women’s health, speaking and media.