Professor Toby Richards’ story

Help Women SHINE

Every other person in the world is a woman. And yet, for far too many women, a common and debilitating health condition is still misunderstood, under-diagnosed, and too often ignored.

One in three women will experience anaemia during their lifetime, often for an average of eight years. Many spend two to three of those years taking iron tablets, struggling with exhaustion, brain fog, low mood and poor concentration without ever being told why this is happening to them.

Iron deficiency anaemia is now recognised by the World Health Organization as one of the top five causes of disability in women aged 18–50, on a par with conditions such as diabetes.

The most common cause is heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB), which affects around one in three women. Yet HMB is rarely talked about openly. Many women assume it is “normal”, are embarrassed to raise it, or are dismissed when they do. The result is avoidable physical and mental suffering — and years of lost health, confidence, work and study.

IronLife

Despite the scale of the problem, there has been no single charitable organisation dedicated to helping women recognise, understand and treat heavy menstrual bleeding and iron deficiency anaemia.

That is why IronLife was created.

Our mission is simple but urgent:

to help women identify iron deficiency early, understand what is happening to their bodies, and feel confident advocating for the right treatment.

*The SHINE Programme*

To make this real, we have developed The SHINE Programme — a practical, evidence-based screening and education initiative.

SHINE combines:

A short Female Health Questionnaire

A simple finger-prick blood test

Clear information, guidance and follow-up support

We also train and fund SHINE Ambassadors — trusted, knowledgeable individuals who work directly in universities and communities to educate, support and empower others. SHINE Ambassadors help women understand their results, discuss treatment options, and approach their pharmacist or GP with confidence — so they are not ignored or fobbed off.

Proof that it works:

Our first SHINE programme launched at the University of East London, where over 1,000 female students were screened.

What we found was striking:

More than one in three women had heavy menstrual bleeding

22% had iron deficiency anaemia

Iron deficiency was strongly linked to poorer mental health, including higher anxiety and depression

Women with iron deficiency reported more time off work and study

These are not abstract statistics. They represent young women trying to learn, work, and live their lives while feeling constantly unwell without really knowing why.

Why we are fundraising:

We are now raising £250,000 to expand and sustain The SHINE Programme at the University of East London, ensuring thousands more women can be screened, supported and treated.

Your donation has a direct, tangible impact:

£4 funds a finger-prick haemoglobin test

£8 funds a ferritin test to identify iron deficiency

£120 funds a full diagnostic blood test for women at high risk

£20 provides six months of oral iron treatment

£20 provides six months of treatment to reduce heavy menstrual bleeding

£590 funds a life-changing intravenous iron infusion

£300 trains and supports a SHINE Ambassador

£600 per month funds a SHINE Ambassador in a university, delivering education, talks and one-to-one advice

Help women to SHINE

Iron deficiency and heavy menstrual bleeding are treatable. What’s been missing is awareness, access, and advocacy.

With your support, we can change that.

Please help us reach more women, sooner — so they can feel stronger, healthier, and heard.

👉 Make a donation today and help women SHINE.

Thank you for being part of this change.