Partners, friends and family helping?

posted: 04/05/2010

Many people with HIV get valuable help and encouragement from partners, friends, family, neighbours and others - just some of the 6 million carers in the UK. In Manchester alone, 55,000 carers provide unpaid support for a relative, friend or neighbour - so isn't it time that carers receive the support they need?
 

Coming Soon

There’s training, a support group, and a carers week event happening soon, other help and support for people who help their partner, friend, neighbour, workmate, or family member.
 

Free training for carers
The Lesbian and Gay Foundation are offering the Department of Health backed Caring with Confidence programme, which is in seven parts. You choose which of the three hour sessions you want to attend. For more information email Annie Emery, Caring with Confidence Project Manager, or ring her on 0161 235 8024

LGBT Carers support group and online in June
A new support group and interactive online forum are on their way to offer support and information to unpaid carers who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans in North West England. Launching in June 2010 - for more information about these services, call Manchester Carers Centre on 0161 835 4090.

Carers Week at Manchester Town Hall
Monday 14th June, 10.00am- 3.00pm, The Great Hall, Manchester Town Hall
The day will include over 80 carers service provider information stalls, carers assessments, live entertainment, pampering treatments, informative workshops, special guests and a free cream tea. All carers who register on the day will be entered into a free prize draw. For further information please contact Glenn Street on 0161 234 4254.
 

Manchester Carers information booklet      download the whole booklet here

This information has been written to provide essential information for carers and those who work with carers in Manchester. It is a tool with which every carer should be equipped in order to find out about their rights, vital services, benefits and much more. The information has been co-ordinated by Manchester City Council's Directorate for Adults and has been supported by the Carers Strategy Group. You can read the same information online here

Each Council provides services and support for Carers - check the Social Services / Adult Services part of your own local council's wesbite.

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Proud to Halt HIV Child Deportations

posted: 30/04/2010

It was New Year's Day 2008 when Martin Narey, head of the children’s charity Barnardo’s, opened the letter he had been waiting for. Inside were the names of 63 HIV-positive children and their families who had at last received a reprieve from the British Government. They no longer faced deportation back to Malawi and Rwanda, to an almost certain death.
 

In a candid interview before he steps down as chief executive of the children's charity Barnardo's, Mr Narey told The Independent that the letter was the proudest moment of his professional life.
The 54-year-old former head of the prison service had fought long and hard to keep the children in this country, lobbying Tony Blair to argue that it would be "cruel and inhumane" to return them to die when anti-retroviral treatment in the UK could give them a near normal life expectancy.
 

Behind the scenes
George House Trust and the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit work closely with Barnardo’s Gregory’s Place to support HIV positive children and their families in NW England remain in the UK. He came to Barnardo's met families and staff from both organisations. We all fed him the facts and harsh realities facing HIV positive migrant children and their families.

Martin Narey instantly grasped the inhumanity of deporting HIV positive children to an early death. He used his unrivalled access to people in power and his passionate commitment to justice and care for children to win protection from removal for 63 children with HIV.
 

Manchester visit sparked action
"On a visit to one of our services in Manchester I met Josephine, a mum whose appeal against a decision not to grant her asylum had just been rejected. Josephine and her son Michael, then 14, were about to be deported to Malawi," he said. George House Trust and the Immigration Aid Unit had given expert evidence and pleaded the family’s case at the immigration tribunal.
 

"Both Josephine and her son were HIV positive. The clinical evidence I was subsequently able to read indicated that without anti-retroviral treatment in Malawi, both would die within months, whereas Josephine's life expectancy here was considerable and Michael's was essentially that of any other 14-year-old. What most shocked, upset and moved me about Josephine was not her quiet acceptance about her own death, but her abject fear over the reality that because she had a radically lower blood count she would die first and leave Michael to die on his own a few weeks or months after her.”
 

Take it to the top
"I went straight from there to the Labour conference in Manchester where I was speaking in a Fabian Debate and I spoke very frankly about what I'd seen. That got me in front of the All Party Parliamentary Group on HIV. That got questions asked at PM's Questions. That got me a meeting with Tony Blair and eventually – and to his enormous credit – a list of more than 60 children, all HIV positive, and their families were given indefinite leave to remain.
 

"The reprieve list, which was sent to me on New Year's Eve and I opened on New Year's Day 2008, was, and I suspect always will be, the best moment of my professional life."
 

Source
 

Person Supporter?

posted: 06/04/2010

Do you provide support to someone, or does someone help support you? Partners, friends, neighbours, family and others, may be helping support people with HIV – and the people doing the supporting may themselves have HIV. Support means anything from collecting a prescription, to full time care of someone who is unable to look after themselves.
 

The LGBT Consortium of voluntary organisations is asking for the views and needs of LGBT people who are involved in supporting and caring for other people.
 

If you are an LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans) person with caring needs or responsibilities, they want to hear from you, no matter how little you may think you help.
 

Online LGBT Caring Survey, where you can talk about your experiences.
 

HIV people supporters

We know that there is a lot of informal caring and supporting going on around HIV - mainly friends and partners looking out for each other and giving a hand when it's needed. Many have HIV and are looking after other positive friends and mates. 

Your answers will help councils buy and provide better services for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans carers / people supporters. We are keen to make sure the needs of people looking after / supporting HIV positive lgbt people are counted - HIV is usually invisible in services for people who help support their partners and friends.

 
There are two questionnaires – one for the people doing the supporting and caring and one for the people getting the support and care.
Online LGBT Caring Survey, where you can talk about your experiences.
 

More about the survey www.lgbtconsortium.org.uk/carers
 

HIV and Your GP Survey

posted: 02/12/2009

HIV positive people are collecting views on the GP service, your 'family doctor'. Please take a few moments to fill in this survey. It should take less then ten minutes to complete. They do not ask for any personal information, only your post code, if you are happy to give that.

This survey has been compiled by HIV positive people and is to help understand people's relation-ship with their GP and how you would like to see the GP and other Primary Care services change and grow.

Take part in the survey here - all the questions are plain to see on this page

The Forum Link Project is an associate member of HIV Europe and the United Kingdom Community Advisory Board for HIV.

Our Sports Day - Saturday 11 July

posted: 23/06/2009

On Saturday 11 July the George House Trust Sports Day is at Longford Park, near Stretford tram / metro stop.

Come along at 10.30 for the start at 11am. It's open to everyone living with HIV and George House Trust volunteers.

Bring a picnic / food to share, or use the cafe.

There will be coached taster activities, track and field events, and some competitive track events. For children there are fun races and football skills.

Turn up, Join in, or simply Watch and cheer.

If you are taking part remember to dress the part - sports kit, trainers.

where

Trafford Althletics Club, Longford Park, Edge Lane, Stretford

when

10.30 for 11.00 start

More details e-mail