facebook - Disability Hate Crime Network

posted: 30/07/2010

People interested in stopping HIV hate and other forms of disability hate crime can join the facebook self-help group.

Fighting HIV and disability hate crime, bullying, abuse, and stigma is a big current issue with a major Inquiry collecting evidence of the problem. You can find out more about the Inquiry and how to tell your story here.

HIV Policy expert Chris Morley of George House Trust was interviewed at length about the hate crime experiences and impacts on people living with HIV, what works in combating HIV stigma as part of this Inquiry. But people's first hand accounts really need to be heard.

Join the facebook Disability Hate Crime Network here.

Election Priorities of Africans?

posted: 09/04/2010

Africans living with HIV are asked by the African HIV Policy Network (AHPN) for their ten most important HIV and sexual health issues for the Government, after the general election.
 

There are around 25,000 Africans with HIV in the UK. These Africans’ friends, families and communities are all affected too. After the election there will be major cuts in public spending which will affect health and other services.
 

Make your voice heard
Africans affected by HIV can influence the next Government's policies for the health and wellbeing of African communities.
Please add your top ten asks to this online survey.
 

The African HIV Policy Network will summarise the top '10 big asks' and pass these to existing and potential parliamentarians, community based organisations, policy makers and other stakeholders.

Are you registered to vote?
To vote in the UK general election on 6 May, you need to be registered to vote, before 20 April. 

Many Commonwealth citizens, including people seeking asylum, can register and vote.

We tell you more here.

50 Pounds for Fun and 100 Words

posted: 29/10/2009

Go out and have fun with some positive friends, write 100 words about it, take a photo (if you can) and send it all to Gus. Be quick - it needs to reach him no later than Friday 4 November. Gus says even a two-sentence quote will do, he doesn't want it to seem like an assignment!

Every published piece of writing for the Christmas and World AIDS Day issue of HIV Treatment Update will get £50.
 

Gus Cairns wants the Christmas/World AIDS Day issue of HIV Treatment Update to talk about your experiences of HIV socialising: how you meet other positive people and have fun with them.

The idea is to have it written by the people who go to groups and people who do things. It doesn’t matter if you think you can’t write proper English – send it in and he’ll tidy it up.

How do you  beat isolation and stigma?
As Gus says, HIV positive people often face isolation and stigma (sometimes self-imposed) but in line with the piece on happiness in the last HIV Treatment Update, they want people’s stories of how you overcome isolation and stigma.

• Do you have a circle of HIV positive friends you network with, or an HIV+friendly circle?
• How important is the social support of other HIV+ people to you?
• What activities do you enjoy doing together? Or
• Do you feel you lack social support and would like somewhere friendly and informal to go to?

The definition of a “social group” for this article is that it could be formal, semi-formal or completely informally organised, but shouldn’t feel formal.

Is my group OK?

• If it’s a formal group run by an organisation (HIV or otherwise), it should feel like a fun place to go: one of the African ‘let’s get together and have a meal and a chat’ groups for instance. Or an HIV disco night. Or something.
• Semi-formal means something like the London gay men’s HIV Meet-Up group.
• Informal means any group of poz friends who get together to do stuff now and then.
• It should NOT be about a “support group” in the classic sense. i.e. we don't want something about counselling or groups for people who are newly diagnosed.
• The other exclusion is that this isn’t primarily a piece about sex, dating or finding love, and although you may find romance (or a shag) in social groups, the emphasis is on meeting and hanging out with friends and potential friends.

Photos? permission and confidentiality
If you do go out and end up sending in photos, PLEASE make sure you have people’s consent to be featured in HIV Treatment Update and that the person's pictured are happy with people knowing or assuming that they may be HIV+. Alternatively, take photos that don’t identify people.
 

All contributions welcomes – this is a chance to get your name (disguised if you want) in HIV Treatment Update.
 

Send your pictures and words to Gus, editor of HIV Treatment Update by Friday 4 November.

How can I get HIV Treatment Update?
You can get HIV Treatment Update free here (pdf version)
click Add to basket, then (top right in basket area) click Proceed, then at the checkout click Proceed , and on the next page give your email etc details.
 

You can get a printed copy posted free here (free print version for people living with HIV) - simply follow the instructions above
 

Photos of Fun and 100 Words

posted: 02/10/2009

We want you to go out and have fun, write 100 words about the experience, ideally take a photo and send it to Gus.

Gus Cairns wants the Christmas/World AIDS Day issue of HIV Treatment Update to talk about your experiences of HIV social networking: how you meet other positive people and have fun with them. The idea is to have it largely written by the people who go to groups and people who do things. It doesn’t matter if you think you can’t write proper English – send it in and they’ll tidy it up.

How do you beat isolation and stigma?

As Gus says, HIV positive people often face isolation and stigma (sometimes self-imposed) but in line with the piece on happiness in the last HIV Treatment Update, they want people’s stories of how you overcome isolation and stigma.

• Do you have a circle of HIV positive friends you network with, or an HIV+friendly circle?
• How important is the social support of other HIV+ people to you?
• What activities do you enjoy doing together? Or, on the other hand,
• do you feel you lack social support and would like somewhere friendly and informal to go to?

The definition of a “social group” for this article is that it could be formal, semi-formal or completely informally organised, but shouldn’t feel  formal. 

• If it’s a formal group run or facilitated by an organisation (HIV or otherwise), it should be something that feels like a fun place to go: one of the African ‘let’s get together and have a meal and a chat’ groups for instance. Or an HIV disco night. Or something.
• Semi-formal means something like the London gay men’s HIV Meet-Up group – which is a model for this sort of thing.
• Informal means any group of poz friends who get together to do stuff now and then.
• It should NOT be about a “support group” in the classic sense. i.e. we are not looking for a piece on counselling or therapy groups for people who are newly diagnosed or whatever. These are a great resource, but not what this piece is about.
• The other exclusion is that this isn’t primarily a piece about sex, dating or finding love, and I don’t intend to cover dating sites etc…although one may well find romance (or a shag) in social groups, the emphasis is on meeting and hanging out with friends and potential friends.

So…I’m hoping this will work and people will write in about their fave ways of spending time together.

Photos? permission and confidentiality

If you do go out and end up sending in photos, PLEASE make sure you have people’s consent to be featured in HIV Treatment Update and that they’re happy with people knowing or assuming that they may be HIV+. Alternatively, take photos that don’t identify people.
All contributions welcomes – this is a chance to get your name (disguised if you want) in HIV Treatment Update.

Send your pictures and words to Gus, editor of HIV Treatment Update 

How can I get HIV Treatment Update?

You can get HIV Treatment Update free here (pdf version)

click Add to basket, then (top right in basket area) click Proceed, then at the checkout click Proceed , and on the next page give your email etc details.

You can get a printed copy posted free here (free print version for people living with HIV) - simply follow the instructions above

AIDS Project 3 image from Bryan Rollins Blog

Lancashire Sexual Health Leader Job

posted: 30/06/2009

Lancashire PCT Chief Executives, Directors of Public Health and the Public Health Network are looking to appoint a Sexual Health leader to work for the network across the pan-Lancashire area (this means the shire county of Lancashire, along with the two unitary districts of Blackpool, and Blackburn with Darwen).

On this interactive health map it is the whole area, in lighter green, centred on Preston, and includes Lancaster.

The post holder will be Programme Manager for Sexual Health and responsible for developing and implementing the Network's sexual health strategy. Sexual health is a significant public health priority in England. There is the background of rising HIV and STI infections and capacity issues which mean services are not yet able to meet demand, and there is a strong national policy imperative driving change and improvement in sexual health services.

The Network aims to develop outcome measures, ensure quality standards and strive for excellence and modernisation in sexual health service provision to improve the sexual health of the population of pan-Lancashire whilst achieving organisational targets.

This is an exciting opportunity to develop and lead a programme combining varied work in the field of sexual health with the principles and values of health improvement and reducing health inequalities.

The Lancashire Public Health Network is a forward-looking, dynamic organisation and the post-holder will be a key player in engaging our stakeholders in reducing health inequalities and improving health. It is a collaboration between the Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in Lancashire, Blackpool, and Blackburn with Darwen.

Lancashire Public Health Network - Programme Manager: Sexual Health

37.5 hours per week
Band 8a
Salary: £37,996 - £45,596

12 Month fixed term / secondment contract

Job Pack      Job Description and Person Specification

Make your application online through the NHS Jobs website - click the orange Apply Now button at the bottom right of this page. Then create a login ID with your email address and fill in the form online. If you don't finish it and don't click submit, the system will email you a password so you can back to the form later.

Key details missing from the job pack

Closing Date - 7 July

Interview date - 27 July

Standard, not enhanced, Criminal Records Bureau check will be required

Further information - in the detailed job description and person specification, and much more information online at NHS Jobs, or by contacting Stephen Woods, Delivery Programme Manager 01772 777 001, or 0791 721 0866