25th Party raises £1,800!

posted: 21/07/2010

A huge thank you to all our supporters who joined us for a fantastic party to celebrate our 25th anniversary on Saturday 17th July at the Midland Hotel. 

Through some generous raffle ticket buying and some unique auction prizes we were able to raise a fantastic £1,800 on the night.  

The entertainment was provided in style by a wide variety of entertainers: Jean Forrester, Kate McCabe, James Kelly and Side by Side.  All of our wonderful entertainers provided their time for free to support the event, so a huge thank you to them.  

Compere Jonathan

The evening was also compered by the fabulous Jonathan Mayor who did a fantastic job to steer us through the evenings proceeds, looking very dashing in his kilt.

We were also honoured by the presence of the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Manchester, and also 2 of the founding members of George House Trust who both gave wonderful and inspiring speeches reflecting on the early days of the organisation.

Thanks to Prize Donators

Thank you to also to all the organisations who donated raffle prizes: 

Nicky Clarke Hairdressers, Slaters Clothing, Conley Beauty West Didsbury, Virgin Active Didsbury, Jurys Inn, Croma, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Namco Station Bowling, Lancashire County Cricket Club, AMC Cinema, The Atrium Apartment Hotel, Lush, Ramada Hotel, The Midland Hotel, The Cheese Hamlet Didsbury, Ben Cohen, Ibis Hotel, Bannatynes Gym, Gurkha Grill West Didsbury, The Body Shop

And also thank you to the people and organisations who donated our unique auction prizes which raised a total of over £500 altogether:

Julie Hesmondhalgh and Antony Cotton, Emmerdale, Dennis Wood, David Shenton

Happy 25th George House Trust!

Velvet - Glee Tops £719!

posted: 14/07/2010

Don't Stop Believing! at Velvet bar, Manchester last night raised a wonderful £719.33 at a packed and highly enjoyable evening. This benefit was arranged by Velvet hotel and bar on Canal Street and featured special guests Scooch who did glee! Scooch sang their classic hits and tunes from glee plus glee bingo and glee quiz games, all made for a great night.

All the proceeds from this event, including donations at the door (entry was free) were for George House Trust in our 25th anniversary year. The £719.33 raised included a good number of £20 notes.

Thank you all

George House Trust is very grateful to all those who came, enjoyed themselves and showed their appreciation and support for George House Trust so generously. 
 

Velvet 2 Canal Street Manchester M1 3EH
 

Scooch on MySpace

Taurus Bar raises £692 for GHT!

posted: 09/07/2010

Taurus Bar on Canal Street are longtime supporters of George House Trust and their collection at the Ladyboys of Bangkok night on Tuesday raised a massive £692.

The money will help us to continue providing vital support to people living with and affected by HIV in the North West.

Thank you Taurus!

Don’t Stop Believing!

posted: 06/07/2010

Don't Stop Believing! is a benefit night at Velvet bar, Manchester featuring special guests Scooch who do glee. Scooch sing their classic hits and tunes from glee plus glee bingo and glee quiz games for a great night.

This Velvet benefit night with all proceeds for George House Trust on Tuesday 13 July at 8pm

Free entry – charity collection on the door
 

Velvet 2 Canal Street Manchester M1 3EH
Scooch on MySpace

Keep HIV in Focus - Crusaid-THT

posted: 16/06/2010

The chief executive of National AIDS Trust urges a continued focus on HIV welfare, following Crusaid's merger with Terrence Higgins Trust, which was announced on Monday.
Deborah Jack expressed her sadness at seeing Crusaid come to an end after 20 years and voiced her worries for the future, in an interview with the PinkPaper.
 

“My main concern is that we’ve lost a charity solely focused with HIV into an organisation which covers all aspects of sexual health. Crusaid always supported those in the greatest need.

The important thing now is making sure … people [living with HIV] are still given the focus they require. Tensions may arise …. as Crusaid staff are used to working on more specific issues around HIV. I am, however, pleased THT have made a public commitment to continue the hardship fund which provides a valuable lifeline for … people living in poverty with HIV."
 

AIDS Support Grant risks
The merger comes just after Communities Secretary Eric Pickles’ announced that the AIDS Support Grant (ASG) will no longer be ring-fenced. This means that this £25.5 million grant (almost £2 million is for NW England) does not have to be spent on social care for people living with HIV. Deborah Jack believes it is important to hold local authorities to account for how they spend this money, otherwise there could be major repercussions, highlighted in a recent report that NAT produced with Crusaid into the need for the Crusaid HIV hardship fund.
 

“In the report we found that 1 in 6 people being treated for HIV applied for help from Crusaid with an average income of just £42 per week. One of the main problems is that many charities rely on contracts from central or local government and without the [AIDS Support Grant] money it might put lots of the smaller charities supporting people on the ground into financial difficulties. A lot of charities use the money they get from the AIDS Support Grant to provide counselling and peer support for people living with HIV. If this money isn’t being spent [on HIV anymore] then these services will be cut and then people in the greatest need will not have the same emotional support, which may lead to … [people living with HIV] becoming isolated and depressed.”
 

Source PinkPaper