Last chance for Manchester Run places!

posted: 26/04/2011

George House Trust still has a few places left in Team GHT in this year’s Great Manchester Run.
We have a great support package available, including a free GHT running vest, after run massage and a post run party at Taurus.

Please email: laura@ght.org.uk as soon as possible if you would like to snap up one of our final places.

HIV Message to Social Services - Protect Funding

posted: 09/02/2011

Deborah Jack, the chief executive of National AIDS Trust, has now written to every director of adult social services, calling on them to protect spending for people with HIV.

We very recently reported (Disadvantage Affects HIV Futures) how much of a difference support to end people's social disadvantage makes to whether people live well with HIV, or fall ill and die early.

This multinational study showed that social disadvantage - poverty, class, gender, ethnicity - make a critical difference to how long and healthily people live with HIV. People nearer the bottom of the heap – because of low income, poverty and social disadvantages - get ill much sooner, and die much younger.

That’s why spending on HIV social care matters. It makes a clear difference in life and death.

Here’s what Deborah Jack wrote and told all the Social Services directors :

Dear Director

The importance of social care for people with HIV

Our chair, Dame Denise Platt, has asked me to write to you, in your capacity as director of adult social services, to highlight the vital importance of continuing to fund social care services for people living with HIV over the next year.

As you will know, the Aids Support Grant, which funded social care for people with HIV, is now part of councils' overall formula grant. However, AIDS support remains an identifiable allocation specifically calculated to enable you to meet the needs of people with HIV in your area. I am sure you will be aware how much your council has been allocated for 2011-12, We firmly believe that spending this allocation on services that meet the specific needs of people living with HIV will deliver value for money and be a cost-effective investment in the long term.

Social care for people with HIV provides a lifeline for many vulnerable people, enabling them to retain their independence and have as normal as possible life. The government has clearly identified this as a primary aim and has acknowledged the continuing need for HIV social care and the necessity to protect these services through the continued existence of a specific and distinct amount of money with its own allocation formula.

Investing in HIV social care services has long-term benefits both in terms of the council's finances, but also for the health of your local population. Good-quality social care is an essential part of keeping people well and avoiding expensive hospital in-patient care and more complex and costly community support. The closer liaison between yourselves and the local NHS as we go forwards only goes to further increase the benefits of the continued funding of HIV social care.

A reduction in HIV social care services will also have public health implications which, with the council's forthcoming public health role, should be taken into consideration when determining funding now. Research shows that when people with HIV are suffering from depression and other forms of psychological distress they are less likely to adhere to their HIV treatment. Non-adherence not only impacts on the individual's own health but also on the health of others, as they become more infectious and therefore there is a greater risk they will pass the virus on, creating further demands for local health and social care services.

HIV social care provides a wide range of services including counselling, peer support, support for carers, respite care and support for children and young people affected by HIV. Many of these services are provided by small community-based voluntary organisations who deliver value above and beyond the direct cost of the services. As well as delivering support these organisations often provide a voice for people living with HIV at a local level, but a reduction in short-term funding for HIV social care services by the council may well threaten their future viability.

I hope that the issues I have highlighted above will serve to convince you of the importance of using the money allocated to 'HIV/AIDS support' within the formula grant to continue to fund essential social care support for people living with HIV. If you would like to discuss any of these matters further please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Yours sincerely,

Deborah Jack

Sponsor Lynda at London Marathon

posted: 27/01/2011

In George House Trust's 26th year, Lynda, our Director of Services, is running the 26 miles of the London Marathon, raising money for George House Trust.

For 26 years George House Trust has been campaigning, supporting people and fighting stigma: George House Trust needs financial support now more than ever to make sure we survive the recession and cuts and continue to deliver good quality services to people living with and affected by HIV in NW England.

1st marathon

Lynda only started running 6 years ago, to raise money for George House Trust by taking part in Great Manchester Runs. This is her first ever marathon.

Lynda is meeting all the costs of the London marathon and travel etc herself, so all your sponsorship money goes directly to George House Trust to support people living with HIV.

JustGiving

Lynda has a handy JustGiving page - it is simple, fast and totally secure.

Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to George House Trust and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer.

So it’s the most efficient way to donate - Lynda raises more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for George House Trust.

So please dig deep and donate now. Every donation, no matter how small, adds to Lynda's £3000 target and directly benefits people living with and affected by HIV.

Thank you very much!!

London marathon image from aidsmap 

Future Jobs Fund Admin Assistant Placement at GHT

posted: 05/01/2011

George House Trust is launching a Future Jobs Fund Placement for an Administrative Assistant, to start in February 2011.

The placement will involve providing administrative support to our Volunteer & Development Manager and helping with administration for training and events.

This is an exciting role which will offer you:

• An insight into a career in the voluntary sector or in volunteer management
• Opportunities to develop skills and experience in volunteer management, training administration and event organisation
• The chance to work as part of the leading HIV Social Care Charity in the North West with a national reputation for excellence.
   

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated person who is interested in making a real difference to the lives of people living with and affected by HIV.

To be eligible to apply, applicants must be aged 18-24 and have been claiming Job Seekers Allowance for at least 6 months. This role is paid at the National Minimum Wage.

If you are interested in this role, please speak to your Job Centre Plus Advisor as soon as possible, quoting Future Jobs Fund reference: MS MAN 9192. Interviews will be held on Friday 14th January 2011.
 

Battle of the Bars £409

posted: 15/12/2010

Remember late November, at AXM, when entertainers, hosts and bar staff from venues across the village came together to battle it out to support George House Trust? We do, and the event raised a warming £409.22, for which we are very thankful.
 

The venues and their crews pulled out all the stops to be crowned winners of Battle of the Bars 2010.

Miss Thunderpussy (Thompsons Arms), Jessica Barge (Queer), Veronyka Kastle (Churchills), Misty Chance (View) as well as representatives from AXM, Sugar Pops, Crunch, The New Union, Manto, Via, The Birdcage and others put in their time for free just to entertain you.

The 10pm to 5am night at AXM was free entry apart from your generous donations on the door, all of which went directly to George House Trust.

The Battle of the Bars were keen to maximise charitable giving and so offered Buy One Get One free on all drinks from 10pm until 1am and drinks at promotional prices.

Thank you to all the venues for taking part, and to the artistes for performing free for you, the staff and people who supported us in any way on the night - generous people all!

Thank you very much from all of us at George House Trust!
 

Interested in fundraising?

See what you could do to help us fundraise and how we can help you with this, on our community Fundraising pages