20/10/2013 – Page 2 – Scene Magazine – From the heart of LGBTQ+ Life

THT launches online peer support for people with HIV

Posted on 20/10/201309/11/2013 by Besi

HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) has launched a new addition to its myHIV website (www.myHIV.org.uk), which will offer real-time online peer support to people with HIV who may be struggling with the condition.

The charity has recruited and trained a team of volunteers living with HIV from across England, Scotland and Wales. Every evening with the exception of Saturdays, volunteers will be logged in to the myHIV Community Forums, where they will be available to chat with users, answer questions, and provide confidential one-on-one support. If users have more specific questions around issues such as benefits and housing, volunteers will refer them on to further sources of advice.

The peer support team includes individuals between the ages of 27 and 60, and from a range of ethnicities and sexualities. Gay men and African communities, the two groups most affected by HIV in the UK, are represented strongly.

Terrence Higgins Trust has provided OCN-accredited training to all volunteers, as well as a City & Guilds qualification in Understanding HIV and Sexual Health.

Garry Brough, Membership Officer at Terrence Higgins Trust, said:

“One in ten people with diagnosed HIV in the UK are now signed up to myHIV, making it the country’s largest network of people with the condition. Ever since the site launched, we’ve seen people on the forums sharing advice and reaching out to each other. This kind of peer support is especially invaluable for those who are newly diagnosed, who may still be struggling to confide in family or friends. We’re keen to build on this aspect of the site, and the launch of our peer support volunteers is an important next step.”

One user of the myHIV forums, said:

“When I was diagnosed with HIV, I took it like a sentence. I was devastated and felt completely lost. I posted a message out of desperation on the forums, and received messages of support from complete strangers. Those messages have been invaluable. They didn’t sink in straight away because of the state of shock I was in, but they soon started to make perfect sense.”

myHIV is co-funded by the Elton John AIDS Foundation and money raised through THT’s annual Walk For Life. Over 7,500 members have signed up to the website since its launch in January 2011.

For more information, or to register, CLICK HERE: www.myHIV.org.uk

A Big Weekender Christmas Cracker Bender

Posted on 20/10/201309/11/2013 by Besi

Miss Jason, three times winner of the Golden Handbag Entertainer of the Year award, is hosting a Weekend Bender in Eastbourne at The Lions Mansion Hotel on the weekend of Friday November 8.

She is being joined by friends including Tammy Twinkle, Kevin Cruise, Sandra, Sally Vate, TiTi La Camp, Charlie Hides TV featuring Kandi Kane and Santa Cruise and the All Star Twinky Boyz.

For the price of your ticket which is £149 per person you get 3 days and 2 nights of all in entertainment at the hotel, bed and breakfast, gala diners and a farewell lunch.

To book a tickets telephone: 01273 911207

MindOut and mental health!

Posted on 20/10/201309/11/2013 by Besi

MindOut, the LGBT mental health project celebrated a year in the life of MindOut at the Dorset Gardens Methodist Church last Wednesday, October 16.

All aspects of their work were profiled and then some service users gave short talks about why MindOut was important to them.

It was powerful stuff, but the message from each one was very clear, MindOut is a lifeline to many LGBT people with mental health problems and has created within the project a community of people who give each other support and most importantly helps service users develop their confidence. Each speaker, though clearly nervous and at times emotional was magnificent!

The Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Cllr Denise Cobb disregarded her prepared speech and spoke from the heart thanking each speaker for sharing their story with everyone present and acknowledging the vital contribution MindOut makes to the lives of so many LGBT people in Brighton and Hove.

The following awards were then presented by project Director, Helen Jones, and chair of the trustees Kate Webb to the following people:

• Phil Brooke: For all his excellent work for the Advocacy Project

• Andrew Doig: For all his excellent work as company secretary, allotment and cookery volunteer

• Karen Sharman/Dolly Rocket: For all her support for their fundraising events

• Steph Scott and The Clare Project: For all their support with MindOut outreach to the Trans Community

• The Camelford Arms: For all their fundraising for MindOut

• Mike Gaunt: For all his work as a trustee, marathon runner and cup cake supremo

• Vikki Hayward-Cripps: For all her work and support as a MindOut trustee

• James Ledward: For all his media support for mental health

Lunch Positive the award winning HIV charity who provide a healthy meal every Friday for people who are positive served a lavish buffet and the Rainbow Chorus conducted by their musical director Aneesa Chaudhry sang a selection of their favourite numbers to finish the evening off.

A great event highlighting the services offered by MindOut from an organisation that is open and transparent about their activities and the services they offer.

Help Colin raise money for Lunch Positive

Posted on 20/10/201309/11/2013 by Besi

Colin Bentley is a supporter of Lunch Positive, the HIV charity who provide a healthly meal for people who are positive every Friday at the Dorset Gardens Methodist Church in Kemptown. He is running both the Brighton Half and Full Marathons to raise funds for the charity in 2014.

Colin took up running to improve his health and fitness and now wants to use this to help this frontline HIV charity carry on with their essential service to positive people.

Colin said:

“The Brighton half and full marathons 2014 are not far away and I will be running both for Lunch Positive which is one of the smallest charities and gives some of the most needed help. It provides a safe place for positive people to get together, share their experiences and gain support, whilst providing a nutritious lunch for next to nothing. I think this is a much needed service and want to raise as much as I can to help them maintain their great service.”

Gary Pargeter, Volunteer Project Manager, added:

“We’re incredibly grateful to Colin for his support – and this is the first time we have had anyone run in both marathons for us – it’s very exciting! Please support him as much as you can to recognise his efforts and to raise as much as possible to help provide our service to a growing number of people with HIV.”

To sponsor Colin, CLICK HERE: https://localgiving.com/fundraising/colinbentley

For more information about Lunch Positive, CLICK HERE: www.lunchpositive.org

Reversing the tide of the UK tuberculosis epidemic

Posted on 20/10/201309/11/2013 by Besi

A primary-care based screening programme could help tackle tuberculosis (TB) in the UK according to a comment from Public Health England (PHE) published in The Lancet (October 18).

London has the highest rate of TB of any western European capital and the UK will have more TB cases than the USA within two years, if current trends continue.

Lead author Dr Dominik Zenner, head of the PHE TB screening unit, said:

“While a programme to screen for active tuberculosis before arrival to the UK is already in place, it does not detect latent tuberculosis infection in at-risk groups such as immigrants living in the UK, disadvantaged and vulnerable communities, or people on immunosuppressive therapy.”

The PHE researchers suggest a pragmatic solution might be a quality-assured primary-care based screening programme. This would involve screening for latent TB among high risk groups – people aged 16-35 years, who entered the UK in the past five years from a country with an incidence of 150 cases per 100,000 or higher.

Professor Ibrahim Abubakar, head of PHE TB section, and senior author on the paper, said:

“We urgently need more investment into services for tuberculosis diagnosis, treatment and prevention, targeted at high-risk and hard-to-reach groups and delivered as part of a coordinated national tuberculosis-control strategy.”

Latest figures show 8,751 TB cases were reported in the UK in 2012, slightly lower than the 8,963 cases reported in 2011. As in previous years, almost three quarters of cases were in people born in countries where TB is more common.

Dr Paul Cosford, Director for Health Protection and Medical Director at PHE, said:

“TB is a major priority for PHE and we are working with key partners to oversee the development of a stronger national and local approach to TB control.

“We are determined to see a sustained reduction in TB, and will work tirelessly to implement evidence based national strategies and to support local partners in those areas where the burden is greatest.”

Art auction raises £30,000 for THT

Posted on 20/10/201309/11/2013 by Besi

Last week Christie’s hosted a charity auction at its annual Vanity Fair Contemporary Art Party, where an artwork by acclaimed British artist Tracey Emin raised £30,000 for HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT).

The artwork, How many times do I say I love you, was created from a Nebuchadnezzar bottle of Champagne Piper-Heidsieck, the largest bottle commercially available on the market today. A Nebuchadnezzar contains fifteen litres (twenty bottles) of champagne.

It was auctioned by Christie’s at its Vanity Fair Contemporary Art Party in its exhibition Thinking Big: Major Sculpture an Installation sold to benefit the Saatchi Gallery’s Foundation at The Sorting Office in central London.

Tracey Emin was invited by Christie’s and Piper-Heidsieck to turn a Nebuchadnezzar into a work of art to be auctioned to support her charity of choice. She donated all the proceeds to Terrence Higgins Trust.

Sir Nick Partridge, Chief Executive at Terrence Higgins Trust, said:

“The funds raised from the sale of this stunning artwork will help us be there for people who are in desperate need. Tracey is a long-time supporter of our charity, and we are immensely grateful for everything she has done, and continues to do, to help improve the lives of people with HIV.”