Exciting new volunteering opportunity for African people!

posted: 29/11/2011

Building on the success of the last year, George House Trust is looking for enthusiastic, committed and reliable people from African communities who are living with HIV, to join our team of African Support Volunteers.

African Peer Support is the perfect volunteering opportunity for anyone who feels that they have wisdom to share, or if you are looking to gain voluntary experience of working in the health and social care sector. In fact, many of our previous volunteers have now gone on to paid work or vocational training as a result of their developing their experience through volunteering here at George House Trust.

You will receive full training to enable you to provide one-to-one support to other African people who are living with HIV through things like:
• sharing your own experiences to help other individuals
• providing basic information about HIV
• offering emotional support

By volunteering on this project, you could help change someone’s life for the better. That is because nobody understands what it is like to be an African person living with HIV more than you.
To apply for this role, fill in this simple application form and return it to George House Trust by Tuesday 13th December, 2011.

Successful candidates will be invited for a volunteer interview on either 17th or 18th January, 2012 and those chosen at interview will be invited to induction sessions on 30th January, 3rd February and 6th February, 2012

For further information contact Susie

Please read a copy of the volunteer role description here

You can apply online here for the role or you can download copies of the application fom
 

DLA to PIP Benefit Plans

posted: 10/05/2011

The benefit called Disability Living Allowance (DLA) will be replaced from 2013 - 14 with a new benefit, Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The government has just published their detailed proposals for how this new benefit will be assessed and asks for public comments.

Disability Living Allowance some people with HIV now recieve comes in two flavours - the care component (with 3 rates of payment), and the mobility component (with 2 rates of payment). The top rate of the mobility component is converted by many people into a leased car from Motability.
 

The government intends to cut 20% from the benefits bill when they make the change from DLA to PIP, so the rules for Personal Independence Payment are tougher than the DLA rules, so PIP will go to people ‘with the greatest need’. This means some people will no longer get the benefit or will get less than now.
 

Most people get DLA after simply filling in a claim form. Everyone getting PIP will face a medical assessment as well as filling in a claim form.

Most people will want something simple to read and understand. The Disability Alliance has a useful factsheet page which is kept updated.

The official explanation and consultation documents

Comments by 6 June

The deadline for public comments on these proposals is 6 June. Leading HIV organisations will be making comments on these proposals.

Hardest Hit March - Wednesday

posted: 09/05/2011

1 in 6 people living with HIV have lived in severe poverty in the past three years. On Wednesday 11th May there is a national march in London and mass lobby of MPs at the House of Commons to protest against the government's planned cuts and changes to benefits.

The cuts and benefit changes will make matters worse for the many people living with HIV who rely on Disability Living Allowance, Incapacity Benefit and Employment Support Allowance.
 

National march and lobby of MPs

People from across the country are coming together on May 11th in London to protest against these cuts and changes and to the cuts to local services which provide key services for people living with disabilities including HIV.
 

People with HIV will be joining the march and lobbying of MPs and if you'd like to be part of this and walk alongside the THT and NAT and other banners, you can find out where and when to meet up by contacting Guy Slade at THT (020 7812 1631). Also register and find out more details on the Hardest Hit website.

Once you've registered, you can email your MP to ask to meet with them as part of the lobby at the House of Commons after the march.

If you arrange a meeting, tell THT, who can advise on what you could say to your MP and ask for.
 

27 Years Living with HIV

posted: 08/03/2011

A Nottingham man diagnosed with HIV more than 25 years ago when he was 14, talks to his local paper about his life. He tells us about sex, relationships, and how talking openly about HIV with partners and others has helped change his life.

Matt Gregory is now a HIV health and treatment worker with Terrence Higgins Trust in Nottingham. He said: "To see the relief on someone's face when the HIV test comes back as negative is a great experience. If some people do test positive it's good they know as it gives them choices. I would rather know I am positive than be kept in the dark. I have choices about treatment, lifestyle and sexual partners."

Read and find inspiration in Matt's story of living with HIV.

Positive Speakers from George House Trust

HIV Positive at NAT

posted: 02/03/2011

NAT (National AIDS Trust) have updated their website by adding a new welcome page for people with HIV. Here you can find all the information from NAT that is most useful for people with HIV.

It saves you from tripping up over the things on their website that you won’t need, like NAT’s guides for employers.
 

Try the new NAT web door for people with HIV

If you are living with HIV in the UK, this section of NAT's website is designed to provide up-to-date and useful information on issues such as rights, confidentiality, employment, benefits, and much more.

There is also information on how you can become involved with NAT’s work for example by joining their Press Gang.