Residential Weekend PLUS for HIV+ Gay Men

posted: 26/07/2010

Residential Weekend PLUS is for men who have attended a previous George House Trust weekend for gay men with HIV. It is intended as a 'step up' from that first weekend.
 

Are you interested?
This exciting new residential weekend will run from Friday September 17th to Sunday 19th 2010 in Whaley Bridge, in the Peak District.
 

You need to have taken part in one of the previous weekends run by George House Trust for gay men living with HIV.
 

• Residential Weekend PLUS will be led by Colin Armstead, (Service and Development Manager at George House Trust) and Alistair Gault (Alistair Gault Training).
• The weekend is designed so that there is maximum time for discussion, reflection and sharing experiences.
• A key part of the Residential Weekend PLUS experience for everyone will be a one to one session with a qualified worker. If you wish to apply for the weekend there is an expectation that you will agree to this session, which will provide you with an opportunity to explore issues with a worker on a one to one basis
• Residential Weekend PLUS runs from lunchtime on Friday September 17th to the afternoon of Sunday September 19th. You would also take part in a meeting for everyone who is attending in the week before - on Monday September 13th at George House Trust
• Transport, accommodation and meals are all provided for free
• There is a strict limit on numbers and we expect a high demand for places.
   

Ask by Monday 16 August

If you would like to be considered for this weekend please email Colin by Monday August 16th at the latest - to say you are interested.
 

We will then send out application forms shortly after the 16 August and will confirm who has a place at the weekend by Friday August 27th.
 

Residential Weekend PLUS is funded by Elton John Aids Foundation
 

Image © Copyright Bill Booth and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

Weekends in the Country

posted: 20/07/2010

The next Living Proof Weekend for people with HIV is from Friday 24 - Sunday 26 September in the Staffordshire countryside, around 60 miles south of Manchester. The nltsg – National Long-Term Survivors Group - provides support to people who have been living with IV for 5 or more years.

Who can join
nltsg is open to anyone who has been diagnosed HIV positive for five years or more. They have a comprehensive inclusive membership policy, which does not discriminate on grounds of race, creed, gender, sexuality, age or disability.
 

Some funding help
nltsg receives no core funding and the charge for the weekend aims to cover the costs. There is funding from Elton John Aids Foundation to help some people to attend. Otherwise people either pay for themselves or can try to get a place funded - if you live in NW England ask our services team about this.

Thanks to a generous award from the Elton John AIDS Foundation, nltsg offers a limited number of places to people who have not attended a nltsg weekend before. To qualify, you must

• be either over 50, OR
• be socially isolated (living in a rural location, low HIV prevalence area or otherwise unable to use local HIV support services), OR
• be a worker (paid or volunteer) in the HIV support sector.
Please contact them for details of this financial assistance.

Weekends
The weekends are a safe space for people to come together for peer support, sharing experiences and discussing issues. Professional facilitators hold discussion groups and workshops, but users decide what is discussed. Complementary therapists offer a wide range of treatments throughout the weekend. All activities are optional.

Weekend details
The weekends run from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, with people arriving from 3:30pm on Friday. They expect everyone is ready by 5:45pm for the Opening Circle.
On Friday evening, they hold a 'Getting to Know You' session, which gives everyone the opportunity to talk in small groups about their reasons for attending, their hopes and expectations for the weekend, as well as voicing any concerns they may have.

Throughout Saturday and on Sunday morning they hold discussion groups, workshops and complementary therapy sessions.

There is plenty of free time during the weekend, which offers an opportunity to relax and network. Many find this the most beneficial aspect of the weekend, as it provides the chance to talk, listen and learn in an informal but safe environment with other people living with HIV.
The weekend is fully catered and there is a bar available in the evening. Most dietary requirements can be accommodated.
The weekends end with a Closing Circle at around 2:45pm on Sunday afternoon.

Bookings by email

07967 430797 by phone

by post : National Long Term Survivors Group
BM LTSG
London WC1N 3XX
 

Living Proof Weekends leaflet
 

Living Proof Weekends 2010 - 2012
2010

What people said
"Just what I needed at this time, a lovely group of people, everyone I met here was friendly and I did not feel excluded."
"The best thing was getting to make new friends and meeting old ones; meeting other positive people and coming together as a group "
"I enjoy the weekend away from home. As a long-term survivor, I enjoy passing on my experiences and learning from new and old members. It goes a long way in helping a person living with HIV, and I leave refreshed and wanting to do more."
"The best thing was discovering other people's example of how they deal with the virus: peer support - sharing experiences - able to relax completely - a chance for personal recharge."
 

Weekends in the Country

posted: 20/05/2010

The next Living Proof  Weekend for people with HIV is from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 July in the Staffordshire countryside, around 60 miles south of Manchester. The nltsg – National Long-Term Survivors Group - provides support to people who have been living with IV for 5 or more years

Who can join
NLTSG is open to anyone who has been diagnosed HIV positive for five years or more. They have a comprehensive inclusive membership policy, which does not discriminate on grounds of race, creed, gender, sexuality, age or disability.

Some funding help
nltsg receives no core funding and the charge for the weekend aims to cover the costs. There is funding from Elton John Aids Foundation to help some people to attend. Otherwise people either pay for themselves or can try to get a place funded - if you live in NW England ask our services team about this. 
 

Thanks to a generous award from the Elton John AIDS Foundation, nltsg offers a limited number of places to people who have not attended a nltsg weekend before. To qualify, you must  
 

• be either over 50, OR
• be socially isolated (living in a rural location, low HIV prevalence area or otherwise unable to use local HIV support services), OR
• be a worker (paid or volunteer) in the HIV support sector.

Please contact them for details of this financial assistance.

Weekends

The weekends are a safe space for people to come together for peer support, sharing experiences and discussing issues. Professional facilitators hold discussion groups and workshops, but users decide what is discussed. Complementary therapists offer a wide range of treatments throughout the weekend. All activities are optional.
 

Weekend details
The weekends run from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, with people arriving from 3:30pm on Friday. We ask that everyone is ready by 5:45pm for the Opening Circle.
On Friday evening, we hold a 'Getting to Know You' session, which gives everyone the opportunity to talk in small groups about their reasons for attending, their hopes and expectations for the weekend, as well as voicing any concerns they may have.
 

Throughout Saturday and on Sunday morning we hold discussion groups, workshops and complementary therapy sessions.
 

There is plenty of free time during the weekend, which offers an opportunity to relax and network. Many find this the most beneficial aspect of the weekend, as it provides the chance to talk, listen and learn in an informal but safe environment with other people living with HIV.
The weekend is fully catered and there is a bar available in the evening. Most dietary requirements can be accommodated.
The weekends end with a Closing Circle at around 2:45pm on Sunday afternoon.
 

Bookings by email

07967 430797 by phone
 

by post : National Long Term Survivors Group
BM LTSG
London WC1N 3XX

Living Proof Weekends  leaflet

Living Proof  Weekends 2010 - 2012

2010
9 - 11 July
24 - 26 Sept
17 - 19Dec

2011
25 - 27 March
8 - 10 July
23 - 25 Sept
16 - 18 Dec

2012
23 - 25 March
6 - 8 July
28 - 30 Sept
14 - 16Dec

What they said

"Just what I needed at this time, a lovely group of people, everyone I met here was friendly and I did not feel excluded."

"The best thing was getting to make new friends and meeting old ones; meeting other positive people and coming together as a group "

"I enjoy the weekend away from home. As a long-term survivor, I enjoy passing on my experiences and learning from new and old members. It goes a long way in helping a person living with HIV, and I leave refreshed and wanting to do more."

"The best thing was discovering other people's example of how they deal with the virus: peer support - sharing experiences - able to relax completely - a chance for personal recharge."

Weekends Away with Baseline

posted: 17/05/2010

Eat, sleep, walk, relax is the invitation Baseline offer for three holiday weekends for people living with HIV. Pick a weekend on the Gower peninsular in South Wales, in the Lake District, or in Snowdonia in North Wales.

Want to meet other people with HIV or do something relaxing and healthy for a change? How does 2 days in some of Britain’s beauty spots sound?

What's offered - and what's not

Daytime guided walks and nature talks. Night time eats and drinks.
The weekends are subsidised and each weekend costs £75. For this you will get two nights accommodation in an exclusively booked venue, breakfast on both Saturday and Sunday, three course evening meal on Saturday night. Plus tea, coffee and squash. Two days of guided walks, all group safety kit.

Not included: Personal drinks, you also need to take two dishes of food for the buffet for Friday night, arrange yourself a packed lunch for Saturday, take walking clothes / trainers / boots, and make your own way to the weekend's location. However, if transport is difficult please contact them as they may be able to arrange car shares from Manchester / NW England for you.
 

Booking - be quick
More details and online booking or by phone from Gareth 07779 040 396, or Robert on 07886 159 735
 

There are a limited number of places, and the bookings are all first come, first served, so book early.

Where and When?
Gower peninsular, near Swansea, South Wales September 10-12th 2010
When we posted this news item there were 7 places left for this weekend.

Gower holiday information          image 

Lake District, Cumbria
November 19-21st 2010     image

Snowdonia, North Wales
March 18-20th 2011
image

More details Baseline Weekends and what you can expect to happen each day.

Positive Gay Men’s Weekend

posted: 17/03/2010

The next of these popular residential weekends for HIV positive gay men will be in May, in Whaley Bridge. The residential weekend is an opportunity to explore and discuss issues around living with HIV with other men in a safe and comfortable environment.

The weekend is facilitated by Colin Armstead, George House Trust Service and Development Manager, and Alistair Gault, a freelance trainer. A George House Trust counsellor will also be available over the weekend.

You must have been diagnosed HIV positive for longer than 12 months to take part in the weekend.

Transport, meals and accommodation are all provided free of charge with funding from the Elton John Aids Foundation.

When?

Friday May 14th (early evening) to Sunday evening 16th May 2010

What have other men said?

'The weekend has given me a real boost and I feel now like I can face some of my issues in a constructive way and really move forward'

Thanks for a great weekend which has helped me think about how I deal with some of my fears and anxieties about living with HIV'

The weekend gave me a sense of space and safety to be able to talk more confidently about living with HIV now and in the future'

Booking

If you would like to know more about the weekend, or you would like to book a place, please email Colin or call him on 0161 274 4499. The booking form is below.

Booking Form