News: 04/2024 | Page 11 | George House Trust

Online Radical Self-Care Course for people who identify as LGBT

 

We are pleased to be able to offer an 8-week programme aimed at improving your emotional wellbeing.  The course is being delivered by ‘Rainbow Mind’ and is targeted at people who identify as LGBT.

 

The programme, which is named ‘Radical self-care’, takes place over 8 weeks and aims to improve your mental well-being, resilience and to foster a sense of connectedness with yourself and others.  You will learn mindfulness and self-care techniques which can be particularly helpful in these challenging times.

 

The course will be delivered online for two hours each week by two experienced practitioners.  You will also be given recorded practices to download and use between sessions.  By the end of the course you will have a personal toolkit of practical resources to help support your emotional wellbeing. 

 

The course starts on Wednesday 16th September, 6-8pm. Sessions will take place every Wednesday for 8 weeks.  If you would like to be referred to the course or would like to find out more, please email Joshua or give him a call on 0161 274 4499. 

 

Monday, 7 September, 2020

Take Part In A Project On Ageing With HIV In Manchester

 

What’s it like to get older as a person living with HIV in Manchester?  Are all the services you need available?  Do they work well together?

 

The National AIDS Trust (NAT) has been working to improve the way that healthcare and other services related to well-being, such as social care and support services, are all properly joined up.

 

Now, NAT and George House Trust want to make sure services work well for older people living with HIV in Manchester.  They want to speak to local people about what they need, and then they want to work with service providers to see how those needs can be met.

 

If you are over 45, use HIV services in Manchester, and would like to share your experiences, we want to hear from you.  We are especially keen to hear from people who need additional services (for example, if you see a specialist for heart condition, use mental health services, or have social care needs).

 

We will be holding a workshop in the near-future, more information will be sent out soon.

Tuesday, 1 September, 2020

 

GEORGE HOUSE TRUST APPOINTS CEO

 

George House Trust is delighted to announce that its Board Of Trustees has appointed Darren Knight as Chief Executive Officer.  Darren’s appointment will commence on 28 September 2020.

 
Darren said 

"As someone who has seen the amazing work of George House Trust evolve over the years and the organisation’s excellent record in tackling stigma, providing services, support and influencing change, I’m both delighted and excited to be joining the team.  I’m totally committed to ensuring the work that George House Trust delivers continues to meet the diverse and changing needs of people living with and affected by HIV in my role as Chief Executive".

Darren has over 14 years’ experience of working in charities and joins George House Trust from Bolton CVS, where he’s been the Chief Executive for the last 5 years.

 
Darren also worked for Shelter as a Development Manager on the Inspiring Change Manchester programme and spent almost 9 years working for the Lesbian & Gay Foundation (now LGBT Foundation), where he was the Head of Policy and Engagement.

 
In his spare time, Darren is a Trustee for Lloyds Bank Foundation and Lancashire LGBT, as well as being a volunteer mentor for young people with Bolton Lads and Girls Club and a volunteer befriender for older people with Senior Solutions.  He lives in Westhoughton with his husband, Andy and their dog Fletcher.

 

Jo Hancock, Chair of The Trustees said

 “I'm delighted to announce the appointment of Darren as the new Chief Executive for George House Trust, and welcome him to the organisation.  Darren will be a strong and passionate leader, and his commitment to the cause will ensure that George House Trust continues to challenge stigma and provide innovative services that meet the needs of our diverse client group".

 

Thursday, 30 July, 2020

Experiences of Black African Women Living With HIV

 

Shiraaz Sidat is a Sexual Health Care Coordinator who is also an MSc Health Psychology student at the University College of London.  Shiraaz is working on a project which explores the experiences of Black African women living with HIV in the UK.  

 

The project is using in-depth analysis and interviews, with the aim of better understanding the experiences of women in order to inform the development of support services for this group.  They are looking for people to get involved and everyone who completes an interview will receive a £15 Amazon voucher.

 

To participate, you must be a Black African woman who has been resident in the UK for at least two years.  You need to have identified as female from birth and be between the ages of 25 and 45.  Additionally, you need to be accessing clinical care and to have had an undetectable viral load for at least six months.

 

For further information and to find out how you can get involved, please visit their website.  You can also contact Shiraaz by email.

Friday, 17 July, 2020

HEALTHWATCH MANCHESTER SURVEY'S

Healthwatch Manchester Surveys

 

Healthwatch Manchester is the independent consumer champion. It was created to listen and gather the public and patient’s experiences of using local health and social care services.  This includes services like GPs, pharmacists, hospitals, dentists, care homes and community based care.  Healthwatch Manchester are currently conducting surveys which may be of interest to you.  Please note these surveys are only for residents of the city of Manchester.

 

COVID-19 Survey

 

Since the beginning of the pandemic Healthwatch Manchester have been contacted by residents from across Manchester who have raised concerns about their health and social care.  In response to this, Healthwatch Manchester launched a COVID-19 survey, so they can better understand the challenges which people have faced when accessing healthcare over the last few months.

 

Healthwatch Manchester especially need to know about the impact it is having on individuals and communities with protected characteristics, such as BAME, LGBTQ+, long term conditions, learning disabilities.  Please help them to amplify your voice and make sure no-one is left behind.

 

If you would like to share your healthcare experiences, good or bad, to help Healthwatch Manchester improve local services then they would love for you to complete their short survey which you can access here.

 

De-registration Survey

 

Healthwatch Manchester have heard numerous accounts from people who have been deregistered from a GP Practice, and as a result they are launching a new survey to find out the true picture across Manchester.  Healthwatch Manchester are particularly interested in hearing from people who have experienced homeless and how this impacted upon their registration with a GP.

 

People who are experiencing homelessness often suffer from poor health outcomes, especially when they have pre-existing medical conditions.  Research conducted by Public Health England found that 41% of homeless people had reported a long-term physical health problem and 45% reported a mental health problem.  These figures are almost double that of the general population, highlighting the added importance of ensuring that homeless people have access to medical care.

 

Once a homeless person is deregistered from a GP practice it can be very difficult for them to get registered again.  Despite NHS guidelines making it clear that you do not need to have a fixed address to register with a GP, we commonly hear this as a reason given for refusing a registration.  This is why it is so important to ensure that patients are not deregistered in the first place, and Healthwatch Manchester are very keen to hear the experiences which homeless people have gone through with deregistration.

 

The short survey can be found here.

 

Alternatively, you can audio record (voice memo) the answers to the questions within the survey and then email the audio file to info@healthwatchmanchester.co.uk.

 

Please let Healthwatch Manchester know if you would like a copy of the questions.  You can also phone Healthwatch Manchester on 0161 228 1344 or visit their website here.

Friday, 17 July, 2020

 

GEORGE HOUSE TRUST RECEIVES THE QUEEN'S AWARD FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE  

 

Our volunteers have been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK. 

 

George House Trust has been providing HIV support, advice and advocacy services to improve health outcomes since 1985, we are a service user-centred organisation with a diverse team of highly trained and knowledgeable staff and volunteers.

 

George House Trust is one of 230 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year.  The number of nominations remains high year on year, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to make life better for those around them. 

 

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities.  It was created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.  Recipients are announced each year on 2nd June, the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.  Award winners this year are wonderfully diverse.   They include volunteer groups from across the UK, including a community shop in Cornwall, an environmental group in Swansea, a group working with refugees and vulnerable people in Stirling and a thriving community arts centre in County Down.

 

Representatives of George House Trust will receive the award from Sir Warren Smith, Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester later this summer.

 

George House Trust’s Volunteer Co-ordinator, Rachel Purvis says:

“We are thrilled and honoured that the hard work and commitment of George House Trust’s volunteers has been recognised at this level. We could not deliver our wide variety of support services to people living with HIV in Greater Manchester and the wider North West without the dedication and hard work of our amazing volunteer team. Everything each and every one of our volunteers does contributes to our vision - for people living with HIV to live healthy lives free from stigma and discrimination. We could not be prouder of them all.”

 

George House Trust is one of the longest serving HIV charities in the UK.  Launched in July 1985, we have been providing support services to people living with HIV, their carers, partners and families across the North-West of England for over 34 years.  We work with children, young people and adults, delivering support through relevant and timely interventions, which focus on empowerment and strengthening confidence to live a fulfilling and healthy life.  We are recognised nationally as an organisation that has developed innovative responses to the needs of people living with HIV. We are also recognised for our commitment to being a service user-centered charity, putting service users at the heart of its decision making processes and governance.  All our services are provided free of charge.

Tuesday, 2 June, 2020

Latest News on COVID-19 from Aidsmap

Latest News on COVID-19 from Aidsmap

 

Two studies of COVID-19 cases published in recent days lead investigators to the cautious conclusion that people living with HIV are not at higher risk of death or severe illness, but one study shows a higher frequency of bacterial pneumonia leading to death in people living with HIV hospitalised with COVID-19.  Read the full article here.

Tuesday, 26 May, 2020

CLINIC UPDATE

CLINIC UPDATE

 

All the HIV clinics in Greater Manchester remain open.

 

Due to the ongoing outbreak of Covid-19 across the UK most HIV clinics across Greater Manchester have reduced their opening times and the number of face-to-face appointments they offer. This is to reduce the risk of transmitting Covid-19 and because staff at many clinics have been redeployed to other parts of the NHS.

 

Clinics are doing most of their consultations over the phone – if you are on treatment, have an undetectable viral load and have no medical issues, you will probably receive a supply of medication and your next set of bloods will be deferred for six months.

 

You may still be asked to go into clinic if you are newly diagnosed, switching treatment or you have a medical need that cannot be dealt with over the phone.

 

Below are the contact details for all the clinics in Greater Manchester. For further details please check your clinics website or call them on the number provided.

 

Clinic

Contact number

Bolton Sexual Health Clinic

0120 439 0771

Bury Sexual Health Clinic

0300 303 8565

Goodman Centre – Salford

0161 206 1099

North Manchester Clinic (Outpatient D)

0161 918 4263

North Manchester Clinic (Outpatients B)

0161 7202 677

Oldham Sexual Health Clinic

0300 303 8565

Orange Rooms – Ashton-Under-Lynne

0161 342 7101

Rochdale Sexual Health Clinic

0300 303 8565

Stockport Choices Centre

0161 204 5888

The Hathersage Centre

0161 701 1555

Withington Clinic

0161 217 4939

Tuesday, 26 May, 2020

May 17

 

IDAHOBIT

 

The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia was created in 2004 to draw the attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexuals, transgender, intersex people and all other people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics.

 

The date of May 17th was specifically chosen to commemorate the World Health Organization’s decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder.

 

The Day represents a major global annual landmark to draw the attention of decision makers, the media, the public, corporations, opinion leaders, local authorities, etc. to the alarming situation faced by people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics.

 

2019 Annual Report

Friday, 15 May, 2020

 

OUR SUPPORT GOES MUCH FURTHER WITH YOUR SUPPORT

 

Like many - if not all - charities across the UK, we are experiencing an unprecedented impact on our income; particularly that income which is generated through community fundraising events.

 

Ever since we were founded in 1985, in response to the emergence of a new virus, we have relied on donations and fundraising income to support our core work.  The funding we receive from local authorities to provide one-to-one advice & support and the income for projects like our Better Together peer mentoring does not cover all our costs.

 

These costs include, for example, reimbursing travel expenses for our volunteers to support staff in our office; covering the cost of fuel when volunteers drive service users with limited mobility to appointments; purchasing materials to improve the recruitment experience of new volunteers.

 

We do not receive any specific funding to cover the cost of t-shirts or the printing of general awareness-raising material - all of which is vital in helping us, and our key messages, to be visible and, more importantly, to educate the public about HIV and HIV stigma.  This is one of our governing objectives, one of which we cannot ever lose sight.

 

It is also true of course that we need to maintain a safe, clean and welcoming space in order to provide our one-to-one support and group events.  We rely on donations, community fundraising and other income to help us do this.  The hire of our ground floor training room to external organisations brings us income which also supports our work.  However, all bookings which were made before the current crisis have now been cancelled.  We do not know when we will be able to take bookings again.

 

These are challenging times for everyone and we understand that, for many, fundraising priorities have changed.  However, despite the difficulties that the Covid-19 pandemic has presented, we continue to work hard to ensure that people living with HIV - in Greater Manchester and beyond - receive the very best support, advice and information.

 

THANK YOU

 

Thank you to our regular donors, fundraisers, supporters and friends.  We know that many of you, local businesses and individuals, are facing significant challenges yourselves at this time.  We are so grateful that so many of you have loyally supported us all these years with love, creativity, originality, and, on many more than one occasion, fabulous flamboyance.

 

Many thanks to our patron Russell T Davies for making this short video

 

Please do help us to continue to do what we do well and give what you can.  Our support goes much further with your support.

 

Text GHT plus the amount you wish to donate, e.g. 5, 10, 20 or any other amount to 70085.

 

GHT 5 to 70085 to give £5

GHT 10 to 70085 to give £10

GHT 20 to 70085 to give £20

 

The legal bit is that texts cost your donation amount plus the cost of a standard text message.

 

After you have made a donation, you will receive a follow up text asking if you would like to add Gift Aid to your donation.  Please add Gift Aid - you will increase the value of your donation by 25% at no extra cost to you.  For example a £10.00 donation will be worth £12.50

 

 

Monday, 4 May, 2020

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Living with HIV? Want to talk to us?
Call 0161 274 4499 or email: talk@ght.org.uk