when juzza (justine gaubert, crone-in-training) hit perimenopause, she was pissed off about being made to feel fearful about getting older as a woman.
In 2022 she set up a Private Facebook group of ten menopausal pals to share positive content about kick-ass older women, and ‘considerately cheer each other on’.
Our Facebook group has now grown to over 800 members from all over the world bringing together women of different generations. we share content to take on the AGEIST algorithms and celebrate the wisdom and mischief of older women, and the joy that can come in our ‘third act’.
In 2023 juzza launched her e-magazine on ‘Substack’ -‘Tits to the Wind!’ to share some of the themes from our Private Facebook group with the world, often woven into her personal irreverent musings on midlife.
It’s our aim to pull together ALL our learning from older women to co-create an alternative roadmap for female ageing to help younger women embrace their third act in a healthier way.
We also occasionally give birth to bat-shit crazy events such as:
our sell out menopause disco (with spoken word) ‘Cronelines’
the Crone Human Library™️
Crone Crowning Ceremonies and Crone Camp Retreats
and an online shop with gifts for the emergent feminist crone in your life.
about the founder.
Juzza is a Sheffield Crone-in-Training in her mid 50s. After working as an award-winning copywriter and brand consultant for over 30 years, she became a social entrepreneur, setting up various social enterprises including Silent Cities where she ran Community Journalist programmes to help unearth voices that were not usually heard.
Her Community Journalists collected over 50 hours of stories from Sheffield’s most isolated older people for Sheffield’s Age Better bid, and were name-checked by the Big Lottery as being crucial to Sheffield being awarded the full £6million to reduce isolation.
Juzza was invited to become the first Social Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Sheffield where she set up a Social Innovation Incubator for students.
In lockdown, she set up The Academy for Dangerous Dreamers to help mainly female start ups and charities create marketing plans which align with their personal values.
She was an early advocate of autism/ADHD diagnosis for older women (you can watch her TED X talk from 2015 below). Her personal struggles that come with the superpower of creativity means she struggles to make a living.
She’s run Crone Club as a volunteer for three years, but now needs to turn it into a living wage. Her only income is through her Substack writing, ‘Tits to the Wind!’ but she needs to double the number of paid subscribers to keep going.
You can sign up for just £4 a month to get her writing, straight to your inbox.
Or you can make a one off donation here.
Contact Juzza for more info.
FAQs - in community speak!
What is crone club?
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The Crone Club, founded by Justine Gaubert, is an initiative dedicated to reframing female ageing and creating a supportive community for women in midlife and beyond. The club aims to challenge societal ageism, double standards, and the negative stereotypes associated with the term "crone" by reclaiming it as a symbol of wisdom, ferocity, and empowerment.
What is crone club’s core philosophy?
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Reclaiming Identity: The club aims to reclaim "crone" as a positive identity for older women, moving away from negative definitions like "ugly old woman" to signify concentrated wisdom and power.
Combating Fear: Making menopause and getting older a phase of life that women do not feel afraid to join.
Reframing Ageing: It seeks to create an alternative narrative for female ageing, viewing it as a "third act" that is exciting, liberating, and positive rather than something to fear.
Fierce Acceptance: Encouraging women to know their worth, trust their intuition, and stop relying on the approval of others.
Concentrated Wisdom: A "crone" is viewed not as a negative stereotype, but as a person possessing deep, concentrated wisdom and "juiciness".
Combating Invisibility: The club addresses the "injustice of double standards" where older women often feel invisible or shamed for ageing compared to men.
Power of Sisterhood and creating community: There is a strong belief that "crones together can change the world" and that supporting other women is essential to combating isolation, agism and mysognony.
Creating Community: It provides a space for "sisterhood and belonging" to combat loneliness among older women who may be caring for others or working from home.
What does crone club actually do?
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*Online and In-Person Connection and events:** The community provides a space for women to connect, share experiences, and support one another. This includes a private Facebook group, Zoom meet-ups, and in-person events in Sheffield such as "CroneLines" discos and the Crone Spoken Library. The club has an experiment to connect 1,000 "kick-ass crones" from around the world.
*Training for Ageing:** Helping women physically and mentally prepare for later life through activities like strength training, storytelling, and ritual ceremonies. The club promotes activities like strength training and "Croning Ceremonies"—rituals designed to celebrate a woman’s entry into this new stage of life. Sheffield Meet-ups include taster intro'ductions to activities like boxing, strength training, and the Alexander Technique to improve physical and mental well-being.
*Media and Storytelling:** Justine Gaubert produces the Tits to the Wind Substack newsletter and podcast, which serves as a platform for sharing empowering stories and experiences of older women, in addition to personal humorous (and humiliating) menopause stories and ‘How to be Crone A.F’ training for ageing specials.
*Activism:** The Crone Club advocates for visibility, encourages the creation of spaces for women to share their voices, and aims to influence culture to recognise age as a privilege.
Future Initiatives
• • Sheffield as "Crone Capital of the world": There are plans to make Sheffield the "Crone Capital of the World" through bonkers events that get global attention such as "La Tour De Crone," a massive bike ride for menopausal and post-menopausal women.
By fostering sisterhood and providing resources for personal growth, the Crone Club seeks to combat loneliness and ensure women feel seen, cherished, and empowered throughout their ageing journey.
what is the crone club promise?
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• • The Crone Promise: Members commit to prioritising their goals, supporting other crones, trusting their intuition, and appreciating that age is a privilege.
what are the key take aways of the crone manifesto?
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Manifesto Highlights:
Crones are kind but can be fierce and strong.
They know their worth, don't "play small," and do not rely on the approval of others.
They are curious, keep learning, and enjoy the company of young people.
They make mischief, are often "sweary," and "laugh until wee comes out".
hire her
Hire Juzza for a talk on overcoming FOM (Fear of Menopause) or how to #Reclaim Crone.
Find out about how Crone Club came out and a short history of the word 'Crone'. Founder Justine Gaubert talking at Creative Mornings Sheffield.
Watch Juzza’s entertaining 2019 TED X Doncaster talk about the benefits of curiosity and getting an autism diagnosis as a woman in midlife.