Volunteers "step up" at George House Trust

posted: 26/07/2011

George House Trust is delighted to announce that it has received a grant from Awards for All to create an exciting new volunteer role, within our busy Services Team.

Advice Support Volunteers will be matched to individual staff members and will support with a range of tasks including researching information, making phone calls, completing financial applications for service users, contacting volunteers and supporting around monitoring and evaluation and administration.

This is fantastic opportunity for volunteers to develop skills and experience in health and social care and advice work.

The grant from Awards for all will enable three volunteers to undertake an NVQ Level 3 in Advice and Guidance, as part of their volunteering. It also provides vital funds to reimburse volunteer travel expenses and help with childcare costs for volunteers to attend the induction training for this role.

Deadline for applications for this volunteer role is Monday 1st August 2011.
If you are interested in this role, please take a note of the following dates. If we invite you to interview, interviews will take place on Thursday 4th August. There will also be training taking place on the 10th, 11th and 12th August.

Please email: volunteering@ght.org.uk for a copy of the role description and information about how to apply. Priorty will be given to applications from people living with HIV.

Laura Hamilton
Volunteer & Development Manager

Amanda Orr
Adviser 

North Manchester General Hospital

posted: 08/06/2010

False rumours about some changes at North Manchester General Hospital (NMGH) are going around. The service at the HIV clinic is not changing. All that is happening is the hospital is making better use of its beds in some of the wards.
 

Cynthia at the hospital tells us that to meet demands on their services and to use their facilities better, the Hospital will be making changes to some Infectious Diseases wards over the coming weeks.

They want people using the hospital to know just what is going to happen and to end worries caused by rumours and wrong information.
 

What ward changes are planned?

• The services now used on ward J5 will be moved to another ward area within the hospital.
• J6 will stop being an Infectious Diseases managed ward.
• Both ward J5 and J6 will reopen as ‘Fast flow wards’ and the Infectious Diseases Department will keep admission rights to those wards.
• J3 and J4 will continue unchanged.
• There are no plans to relocate the Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine to another site.

Cynthia Murphy, Manager – Infectious Diseases Research Department & HIV / Hepatitis Support Coordinator
 

City and Guilds in HIV and AIDS

posted: 14/04/2010

Terrence Higgins Trust runs an accredited City and Guilds HIV course. The award in understanding HIV and AIDS is a formal qualification to help people improve their own knowledge of HIV to be able to talk confidently with people about HIV. The qualification

• Is for people who want to work within the HIV sector (paid or voluntary)
• Helps people challenge misunderstandings and inaccuracies
• Improves HIV knowledge and supports delivering HIV information to young people in school.

Course content

The qualification is at level 2 of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) is awarded on successful completion of three units:

• Unit 001 Transmission and Prevention of HIV (3 credits)
• Unit 002 Stigma and discrimination in HIV and AIDS (3 credits)
• Unit 003 Managing HIV and AIDS (4 credits)

Distance learning

This is a distance learning course, spread over three months and involving attendance at a training centre for two days, one at the start of the course and one at the start of month two.The distance learning course has three units with two face to face study days held in eg central Brighton and 44 hours of study time for all units.

• Day 1 Participants will attend a training centre for Induction and Introduction to Unit 001.
• Month 1 During the first month, participants will work remotely with phone support on course work. The deadline for remote learning on Unit 001 is one month after Day 1.
• Day 2 The second day of attendance at the training centre will take place shortly after completion of unit 001. Day 2 will give an introduction to Unit 002 and Unit 003.
• Months 2 and 3 The deadline for coursework for Unit 002 and Unit 003 is two months after Day 2.

Cost
The cost for ordinary customers is £350 + VAT, but for public and voluntary sector customers £250 + VAT, with the possibility of reductions in cases of hardship.
 

Next courses

• Cardiff: 13th May Day 1 and 17th June Day 2
  
• Brighton: 25th May Day 1 and 23rd June Day 2

Courses are also held in Manchester, Leeds and London - ask when the next local course is planned.

Download an application form, or email,  or ring Justin Barrett on 020 7812 1727

Past students say:
‘The course is a must do for all working in social care or sexual education, no-matter the level.’

‘I would recommend the course to anyone non-medically trained working, or hoping to work, in the field of HIV.’

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.

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.