The impact of immigration and asylum on children and young people living with HIV

London Birmingham
9 October 2006 19 February 2007
9.30am – 4.30pm 9.30am – 4.30pm

This one day course has been developed in response to challenges expressed by practitioners working with children, families and also unaccompanied minors, who have uncertain immigration status or issues with visas, and are additionally living with HIV.The course will combine current policy, legislation and practice issues. The workshop format will encourage and facilitate sharing experience and best practice.

Hammersmith and Fulham PCT (on behalf of EHH PCT's) and in conjunction with EHH HIV Forum invites you to

'Keeping the Promise - Involving Users'

a workshop aimed at reviewing user involvement to-date and assessing its impact

THURSDAY 21st September 2006
9.30 am - 4.30pm
Irish Centre
Blacks Road
Hammersmith, W6 7DT.

Come along and find out about:
- PPI & HIV
- Involving Users in Commissioning
- Clinics and involving users
- Staff and Involving users
- User involvement - after so many years- where are we?

For more information, please contact:

Charles Oduka
Service User Involvement Officer (HIV Services) EHH

Tel: 020 7017 8910 - Email: georgina.caswell@ahpn.org - www.ahpn.org
PRESS RELEASE

14 September 2006

Georgina Caswell – Policy and Community Engagement Officer
Let’s support, not vilify, people living with HIV

The Sun, the Daily Mail and The Times have reported that Everson Banda, an African immigrant who has been residing in the UK until last month, has infected six women with HIV.

Most people living with HIV do not want to infect others. On the contrary, they want to inform and protect others from going through a similar experience. The three articles assume that Everson Banda is HIV positive, that he knew his HIV status and that he knowingly infected the women who are HIV positive. However, there is not enough information to draw these conclusions; and it is unhelpful to give out such messages because they contribute to a negative perception of immigrants and people living with HIV in the UK, who are often responsible individuals. It would be more useful to send out messages that support people to test for HIV, to be open with others about their status and to practise safer sex.

Christian Aid and the Joint Council for Anglo-African and Caribbean Churches invite you and your congregation to:

‘Harden Not Your Hearts’ Conference

23 September 2006

10.00am-2pm

Lambeth Accord

336 Brixton Road, London SW9

The conference will look at how HIV affects the black community, locally and globally. The event will also launch the ‘Harden not your hearts’ series of booklets, designed to encourage you to restart your thinking and enable you to assist those living with HIV, raise awareness of the issues and make a difference.

The Children & Young People HIV Network is producing a report that spotlights the current situation for children and young people who have insecure immigration status and are either HIV infected or living in a family where one or more members is HIV infected.  The report will present the findings gathered through questionnaires, case studies and interviews. 
We are sending out two questionnaires, one for units providing health care for HIV infected children, and one for those providing support for infected and affected children (both HIV specialist support for children and families and those who run services that support asylum seekers/refugees).
Please take a little time to complete the attached questionnaire on behalf of your organisation and return it to us in the SAE provided by 7th September 2006.  If you would rather be sent a paper copy and an SAE, please email hiv@ncb.org.uk <mailto:ltoocaram@ncb.org.uk>  with your full postal address.  Please feel free to forward this questionnaire to relevant parties.
Additionally we are inviting people to send us case studies, both good and bad, of their experiences in practice.  If you feel you have a story to tell, please complete the attached case study form.  

TRUSTEES

ARCHRO) is a charity that promotes health, wellbeing, research and the provision of culturally appropriate and competent services. Crucial to its mission is the provision of services and support to marginalised and vulnerable groups of society, especially refugees and asylums seekers, by removing barriers which are likely to predispose them to poverty, ill health and social exclusion.

ARCHRO is currently seeking individuals with an interest in education, health, research and welfare of refugees and asylum seekers to become Trustees and join its Management Committee which is responsible for the governance. In particular, those with high level skills and experience in legal, human resource, fundraising, finance, project management and evaluation are required to enhance the existing Management Committee.

The Crusaid Poverty and HIV Conference is taking place on 21st September
2006.

The Web link below will take you to all the information you should
require, including the  booking form, which you can submit by fax or
return of post.

 http://www.crusaid.org.uk/admin/uploadfiles/Final_Delegate_booking_form.pdf

For further information, please contact:
 
Ian Leckie
Projects Officer
Crusaid - HIV & AIDS: help & hope for people in poverty
e. ianl  <mailto:e@crusaid.org.uk> @crusaid.org.uk
t.  020 7539 3887
f.  020 7539 3890
p. 1-5 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3JX