Campaigns and Projects

Chronically Creative

This project grew from our cosy Chai and Chat circles, where honest conversations about menstrual, maternal and mental health naturally flowed. We wanted to create a warm, creative space that eases isolation and celebrates community care. Through arts-based therapy we’ve shared stories in our own zine, poured candles scented with hope and laughter, and held space for joy alongside struggle. Every gathering leaves people feeling lighter, connected and empowered, a reminder that collective care and creativity can spark real healing and resilience.

Flow & Grow

Flow & Grow is Cysters’ community-powered programme supporting menstrual and maternal health across every life stage. Co produced with the community to break stigma and spark honest conversation, these interactive sessions cover periods, fertility, pregnancy, postnatal care and cervical screening. Participants leave with practical knowledge, confidence to access vital screenings and a stronger connection to their own bodies and community support networks including other organsations that may be able to assist them further.

Cysters Research and Outreach

At Cysters we believe research should start with the people it’s meant to serve. That’s why our work moves beyond observation to genuine co-production, blending academic with lived experience. Our team has contributed to published papers and peer-reviewed journals while staying rooted in grassroots realities. We’ve been invited to share our approach to community-led research on global stages, including Geneva, and we proudly lead NIHR-funded projects as PPIE (Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement) leads. Every study we join or lead is shaped by the communities most impacted. From menstrual health to maternity justice, we centre lived stories, challenge traditional power dynamics, and create data that policymakers cannot ignore.

Marginalized and Menopausal

This ongoing initiative shines a light on menopause in communities too often left out of the conversation. We partner with universities across the UK and Ireland on intersectional research and bring those findings back to the people who need them most. In May 2024, we hosted a first-of-its-kind community-led conference exploring menopause in racialised communities, with Dame Lesley Regan joining to show her support. Together we unpacked surgical menopause, early menopause and perimenopause, highlighting how experiences differ across cultures and identities. Our goal is to centre lived stories, share knowledge and create spaces where everyone’s menopausal journey is recognised and respected.

Our Cysters – Community Resource Distribution

This Programme tackles reproductive-health inequality across the West Midlands by providing essential items, menstrual products, infant formula, maternity supplies and other critical care resources, free of charge and with no questions asked. Through partnerships with organisations such as Hey Girls, local faith groups and neighbourhood networks, and powered by a trained volunteer base, we collect, store and distribute high-quality resources directly to those who need them most. By meeting urgent material needs while fostering trust and engagement, the programme not only relieves immediate hardship but also creates a gateway for individuals to participate in our wider education, advocacy and participatory research initiatives, making it a powerful, measurable driver of long-term reproductive-health equity.