Speak at Positive Prevention Conference?
posted: 12/04/2011
George House Trust, the Manchester based HIV support organisation, runs a Positive Prevention project, funded by the Elton John AIDS Foundation. We are holding a free national conference in Manchester on 1st July for staff and organisations doing positive prevention work, to share best practice, and to consider developing minimum standards for Positive Prevention work.
Speakers Wanted
We are inviting people who would like to speak at this conference about their experience in Positive Prevention work to contact us.
Positive Prevention means working to support people living with HIV, where one of the benefits is reducing onward HIV transmission. Positive Prevention at George House Trust includes
- one to one support
- group "peer support" spaces
- courses for people newly diagnosed with HIV and
- reflective residential weekends for people diagnosed with HIV for longer than 12 months.
Most of our weekends and courses have been for gay and bi men, and we have run others for people living with HIV.
Call for speakers
If you
- Are working in an organisation doing ‘positive prevention’ work with people living with HIV, or
- Want to share the positive prevention work you are doing, or
- Have any data from positive prevention work which shows changes in behaviour or knowledge (we want the conference to hear evidence both of what works, and what doesn’t seem to work), or
- Want to highlight aspects of positive prevention work, or
- Are a person with HIV who has taken part in a Positive Prevention project, or
- Want to suggest a speaker with relevant knowledge or experience of Positive Prevention
we want to hear from you.
Presentations can be in any format and would be for the whole conference, of about 35 people.
Please Contact Chris
If you are interested in making a presentation, please email Chris Morley with your proposal by Monday 23rd May .
Interested in attending?
This conference is only for people and organisations already doing Positive Prevention. If you would like to come as a delegate to the Positive Prevention conference, please contact Chris.
What some people with HIV have said about our residential weekends
- The weekend really helped me to identify where I am now - and to look clearly at what I need for the future
- I learned so much from the other men and really now feel focussed on making positive changes
- It helped me connect, and gave me support and direction
- The weekend has given me a real boost and I feel now like I can face some of my issues in a constructive way and really move forward
- Thanks for a great weekend which has helped me think about how I deal with some of my fears and anxieties about living with HIV
- The weekend gave me a sense of space and safety to be able to talk more confidently about living with HIV now and in the future.
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GHT Speakers Highly Commended!
posted: 12/11/2009
The George House Trust Positive Speakers Programme received a Highly Commended citation at the North West Public Health Awards at Manchester Town Hall on Monday night.
The awards recognise excellence and innovation in public health development across the North West. Two positive speakers were present to accept the award on behalf of the programme and the certificate was presented by Ruth Hussey, Regional Director of Public Health.
The Positive Speaker Programme is a unique and innovative programme that directly challenges HIV related stigma and stereotypical views of who is at risk through personal perspectives on living with HIV. For more information on the programme click here.
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Secrets and Lives Triumph
posted: 27/08/2009
As those of you who attended last night's event will know, Secrets and Lives was a huge success.
Approximately 140 people attended, and the Frog and Bucket comedy club was really buzzing. There was a real sense of activism and energy around stopping HIV stigma, and everyone went away with a clear message that we all need to take whatever action we can to stop it.
Intimate, honest and challenging, this event, part of the Manchester Pride festival, aimed to open eyes to the reality and diversity of HIV positive people’s lives in the UK today.
It's no secret that gay men are disproportionately affected by HIV, and this has been the basis of some of the ugliest and most reprehensible homophobia 'justifications' that the community has faced.
It asked - what about today? As a community are we still as united in our activism around HIV and in our support for positive people?
Why are are so many positive gay and bisexual men so afraid of being open about their status? Is HIV the new closet?
Telling their stories
The Positive Speakers gave fantastic speeches, both very moving and thought provoking. It was bold and courageous to be out to such a large audience of people from their own community, which was a first for Positive Speakers. Before they have spoken mainly to school and college audiences.
The three accompanying acts, Chloe Poems, Zoe McVeigh, and The Cocquettes were brilliant and provided a great variety to the evening, and they gave their time for free.
Colin was compere extraordinaire, and has earned himself the compere gig for future events with his enthusiasm, humour and sensitivity.
Vox pop interviews on Canal Street
James and Kath produced a fantastic professional vox pop movie of interviews of people along Canal Street in Manchester about HIV and stigma. We'll be showing this on our expo stall over the coming Pride weekend and for future events.
What was telling is that the vast majority of people who Kath and James asked about HIV and stigma refused to be interviewed. One of the main messages of Secrets and Lives is we MUST all talk about HIV to end HIV stigma on the gay scene.
Kath (the Positive Speakers coordinator) did an amazing job at putting the whole event together - we haven't done something like this for a long time and she organised it in style. The event showed us as the professional and committed organisation that we are.
£400 and up
We've raised over £400 from the event, made a couple of great networking contacts, changed people's attitudes, and energised people to take action to stop HIV stigma.
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Adela, a Women's Award Winner
posted: 30/06/2009
Adela has won one of the Manchester Awards for Women 2009. The awards featured a stunning line-up of strong, focussed women who are working hard to improve women's lives in the city of Manchester.
The awards took place in Manchester Town Hall on Thursday 25 June and they were presented by the Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Alison Firth, Councillor Val Stevens, Deputy Leader of the Council, and Councillor Mary Murphy.
The awards covered seven categories, and included women who have made outstanding contributions to health, business, culture or the environment. There were also awards for women contributing to the lives of older women, one for an outstanding young woman, and a special award in honour of Kath Locke (1928-1992) for the person who made the biggest contribution to the role of women in public life.
Unseen but vital work
Councillor Val Stevens, Deputy Leader at Manchester City Council, said: "This was a wonderful and moving occasion and I was honoured to be around these strong women who have all made an impact on the lives of people around them and the wider community. I think it is important that we take time to recognise this often 'unseen' and vital contribution that they make to so many people's lives. This was an opportunity for us to celebrate our pioneering and determined women and a chance to thank them for their roles in making our city a better place to live."
The women's awards are part of the Council's 'Proud of Manchester' year-long campaign which recognises outstanding citizenship in the city.
Winners
Women and Health Award was won by Adela
- Adela is a postive speaker volunteer with George House Trust who talks to people all over the city about HIV. She works tirelessly to challenge stigma and discrimination against HIV positive people.
Women and Culture Award was won by the LIS Team for the feminist play - LIS - performed in prisons. The LIS team are based at the University of Manchester Students Union. LIS is a modern day adaptation of Aristophanes' Lysistrata - a 2,400 year old Greek drama about ending war, women's rights and gender roles. The adaptation was set in Manchester to make its feminism relevant to women today. They perfomed it in local prisons and drrg and alcohol services.
Women in Business Award was won by Christine Humphrys for the alcohol free shop. Christine, from east Manchester, set up an alcohol free shop in the city centre 3 years to help make alcohol free alternatives to people who need to reduce their intake or abstain from alcohol to improve their chances of better health.
Women and the Environment Award was won by the Manchester Women's Design Group. It is made up of volunteers from Manchester with a commitment to ensuring that the built environment is created with women's needs at heart. The group have recently created a gender checklist, a best practice guide that planner can use to ensure they meet women's needs when planning in the city.
Valuing Older Women Award was won by Amina Latimer and Rebecca Asgill.
- Amina is from Hulme and is a well known volunteer in the city - events have included International Women's day, Commonwealth Games, children play schemes, Manchester Art Gallery and Manchester paralympics at SportCity. She actively looks for volunteering opportunities that will bring her into contact with a wide variety of people.
- Rebecca is from Moss Side and has dedicated her time over the past 11 years working the community and at the Windrush Centre helping yournger and older women of all nationalities to improve their lives and their language skills. She has also worked tirelessly with older people on adult literacy classes and on programmes with regugees and asylum seekers on Esol courses.
Outstanding Young Woman winner was Charlotte Hughes.
Charlotte is from Hulme, she was 20 when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She has been actively campaigning www.charlottesshiningstar.org.uk and lobbying to change the law so young women can have smear tests earlier to detect cancer sooner and save lives. Charlotte has been caring for her daughter on her own since her daughter's father died, all whilst battling her own illness and campaigning so other young women don't lose their lives.
Kath Locke Award was won by Ruth Ibegbuna.
Ruth developed the Reclaim girls project in Moss Side to encourage young woment to have self-esteem, ambition and pride in their community. Reclaim's mission is to work with vulnerable young people in areas associated with crime, unemployent or social instability. Reclaim acts as a tool to inspire, provoke leadership and challenge negative behaviour and to offer positive life choices to young people.
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Absolutely Positive Showcase
posted: 03/12/2008
Absolutely Positive launched George House Trust's new Positive Speakers programme on the afternoon of World AIDS Day.
The afternoon showcased the diversity of those affected by HIV, with personal experiences of living with HIV shared by 6 speakers, each with very different tales to tell.
As one audience member put it, the afternoon was an inspiring, shocking and moving event. The consensus was clear - everyone there would happily recommend the Positive Speakers Programme to colleagues.
The event really highlighted diversity. The quality of info, content and presentation styles was excellent;
How amazing the speakers are. The work of George House Trust shows through the speakers, fantastic.
Well organised event; friendly environment and conducive to ask questions and discuss. The testimonies bring together a good set of examples of what it is like to live with HIV today.
Excellent opportunity to hear stories - and also to network! What was most powerful was the range of experiences discussed.
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