Positive Interest October 2011 by Waverley Care

Supporting people living with HIV or Hepatitis C in Scotland October 2011

Waverley Care, 3 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6NB www.waverleycare.org

Telephone: 0131 556 9710

Find us on Facebook

Email: fund@waverleycare.org

Scottish Charity No. SC036500 Company Limited by Guarantee No. 253043

Welcome

Welcome Welcome to what is Book your 2011 Christmas party or meal with Apex Hotels in Edinburgh or Dundee – and help support Waverley Care! Quote ‘Charity Waverley Care’ when booking and we will receive a £1 donation for each person in your party.

Call: 0845 365 0001 to book now www.apexhotels.co.uk

Sunday 27th May 2012 Raise money for people living with HIV in Scotland. Do it all yourself or share with friends. Full and Team Relay places available. For more information, call Jane on 0131 556 8910, or email admin@waverleycare.org

Sunday 4th March

2012

• full marathon • half marathon • fun run Enjoy running round the green open space of The Meadows, Edinburgh – and raise money for Waverley Care. You’ll never be far from the cheering crowds! For more info, please contact Jane in the Fundraising Team, Tel: 0131 556 9710

my last edition of Positive Interest. This edition includes a wealth of information, including a reflection on 30 years of HIV. As you can imagine as I leave Waverley Care, my mind is very much taken up with the notion of legacy — what has been achieved and whether we have made the real difference we all aspire to in Waverley Care? I believe we have achieved a huge amount over our 22 years and continue to do so. Some achievements are tangible and some less so. They include people getting back to work or college, abstaining from drugs or alcohol, or just living a more fulfilled life with increased self-esteem and confidence. Seeing children grow and develop over the past 17 years has also been inspirational. They have often had to overcome loss, fear and prejudice and yet have remained vibrant and hopeful and matured into well-adjusted adults. This feels like a real and lasting legacy. To help ensure that the valuable work of the charity continues I am also leaving another type of legacy to Waverley Care – that of a gift in my will. I would be delighted if you would consider doing the same. You can read more about how to leave a legacy on page 4. Finally, I am pleased to say that, although I am leaving Waverley Care, I will remain closely involved with HIV and sexual health through a short-term post based in the Scottish Government. This is an exciting opportunity for me personally to use the experience gained at Waverley Care. With warmest wishes

David Johnson, Director

Organised by: Scottish charity: SC035064

Positive Interest October 2011

Front cover image courtesy of Thomas Haywood

News

World AIDS Day 2011 ‘Act Aware: Protect yourself and others’ is the theme of Waverley Care’s events for World AIDS Day. Events are being held on Thursday 1st December in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness. They provide an opportunity to hear stories of those who are living positively with HIV, whilst also including time and space to remember those who have died of AIDS, both here in Scotland and elsewhere in the world. All the events include music and readings and refreshments are shared at the end of the evening. Please consider joining us to challenge stigma and stand alongside those who are living with HIV. Full event details on page 10.

Faith makes a difference In July, Waverley Care was pleased to welcome to Scotland Canon Gideon Byamugisha, an Anglican priest from Uganda who is living with HIV. Canon Gideon was the keynote speaker at “We Are One, Let’s Walk Together” a faith and health conference held in Glasgow, which brought together over 80 leaders of African Christian faith communities. Canon Gideon spoke openly about the need for religious leaders to encourage condom use amongst couples in their congregations and highlighted the need for early testing for HIV. He also spoke of the complementary nature of prayer and medication and the need for these to be used together. Feedback from those attending the conference was excellent, and a new faith and health ambassadors scheme has been put in place to further relationships and create lasting links with the faith communities. Canon Gideon was also kept busy during his Scottish visit by joining Mark Lazarowicz, MP in Edinburgh for an event discussing HIV policy and the need to challenge discrimination.

HIV & Pregnancy Our up-to-date understanding of HIV and HIV treatments, means a woman who is living with HIV can now enjoy a straightforward pregnancy and a healthy baby. Less than 1% of babies born to HIV positive mothers on medication and under full medical supervision, are HIV positive. However, having the right information and the right care is of great importance to ensure the health of both mother and baby. Angie, our Network Alba Co-ordinator, is currently developing a programme of workshops on the theme of HIV & Pregnancy. Following a very successful session in Glasgow, held jointly with Positively UK, Angie is planning to offer these one-off workshops in different areas of Scotland in the coming months. The workshops will target women living with HIV who are considering becoming pregnant and those who are in the early stages of pregnancy.

October 2011 Positive Interest

Features

30 Years of HIV 2011 sees the 30th anniversary of the first diagnosis of AIDS. A US medical bulletin revealed on 5 June 1981 that five young, gay men in Los Angeles had a form of pneumonia that normally only appears in people whose immune systems have collapsed. They were the first documented cases of the HIV epidemic that was to sweep the globe. Following these early diagnoses, there was shock in the medical community about the voracity and speed with which the virus spread. Since then, more than 60 million people around the world have been infected with HIV and, of these, 30 million people have died. The development of HIV treatments has changed the condition from a terminal one to a chronic, long-term condition. These anti-retroviral drugs are gradually becoming more widely available in poorer countries, however, 9 million people still have no access to treatment, something which has prompted this year’s international theme for World AIDS Day – “Getting to Zero.” The “Getting to Zero” campaign is setting targets for zero deaths; zero new infections and zero discrimination.

Make your support live on Support from individuals is vital to any charity. HIV/Hepatitis C is not a cause which evokes widespread sympathy, and so we are always heartened by the warmth of the letters which accompany donations and humbled by the generosity of people such as Michael and Cerin (see p 5). With no vaccine in sight and ongoing high infection rates, it is vital we find ways to continue to respond to the needs of a growing and ageing population of people living with HIV or Hepatitis C. We know that many people are not in a financial position to make charitable donations currently but would still like to contribute to the future of the organisation. 4

Positive Interest October 2011

These targets throw down a challenge to us here in Scotland. People in the UK seldom die of HIV-related conditions, but how can we prevent further spread of HIV? How can we challenge discrimination? Perhaps one answer on discrimination is simply to speak up and speak out; to challenge discrimination where we come across it and to help people understand the impact that stigma has on people living with HIV. Zero new infections is undoubtedly an ambitious target but, through education and awareness raising amongst people who are living with HIV and amongst those who are not, we are surely taking a step in the right direction. At the same time efforts to find a vaccine and other bio-scientific initiatives to prevent transmission of the virus need to remain a high priority. Leaving a legacy to Waverley Care provides an opportunity to do just this. • It is a simple and flexible way of giving to charity and it need not be big! • Using a codicil form is a straightforward way to amend an existing will – we can send one to you or you can download one from our website. • A gift to Waverley Care will be free of inheritance tax as any bequest is deducted from the value of the estate before the tax liability is calculated. • It is a personal decision. You do not need to tell us of your plans. We benefit from very few legacies – unlike many Scottish charities. Every one we receive will hold a very special place in our heart and in the hearts of the future generations we support. For more information please contact Karen in our Fundraising Team on 0131 556 9710 or email fund@waverleycare.org

Supporter Profile

Supporter Profile Husband and wife, Michael and Cerin Richardson, first became involved with Waverley Care in 1996 when Michael was the Director of Bravado Mikado, our first fully staged ‘Come & Sing’. They have supported us in numerous ways including very recently making two major financial donations to support our work. Q: Why did you become involved in Waverley Care? A: Michael – Waverley Care’s Patron, Christopher Bell is a good friend of ours and he introduced me to Waverley Care. Q: What do you remember about HIV when you first became involved in Waverley Care? A: Michael – I studied medicine in Edinburgh when HIV was first kicking off and the “don’t die of ignorance campaign” was running. I was being taught at the time that HIV was an instantly fatal illness. In 1996 I was aware that Edinburgh had a huge HIV population and of the huge prejudice that was also around. Q: Why do you support Waverley Care? A: Cerin – Myths are still alive, such as being able to contract the virus from sharing a towel and that it isn’t a heterosexual condition. These need to be challenged. I feel angry that people can’t live with HIV without being judged by other people. M – Yes, prejudice is unacceptable! Not only should you not be prejudice but you should stand up and speak out against it, otherwise you are implicitly allowing it

and that is wrong. By supporting Waverley Care we are helping to stand up against that prejudice. Q: Is there one Waverley Care service that stands out to you? A: C –I really believe in the Buddy Service. It provides the extra support that people living with HIV need. They may not have disclosed their HIV status to family or friends and so need someone to talk to and gain support from. Q: What motivates you to stay involved with Waverley Care? A: M – We see the impact of the work the charity is doing. They are a small organisation having a big impact. C – I’m a volunteer buddy so that keeps me involved but we’ve also got to know the people at Waverley Care. They stick around because of the great work going on. Everyone stops to say “hi” when you walk in the door. Q: Why would you encourage other people to support Waverley Care? A: C – Involvement with Waverley Care has helped me grow as a person – I’ve met wonderful people and learnt about sections of the community that I’ve not been involved with before. M – Waverley Care provides concentrated local support that you can see the benefit of and so is a great charity to get involved with, both through volunteering and financially. In the words of Bob Geldof ‘Get your money out’. I know for Waverley Care that every penny counts!

You’ve got a friend… Cerin is part of a fantastic team of volunteer buddies, all of whom give freely of their time to support people who are living with HIV or Hepatitis C. It plays a key role in reducing social isolation and helping people to feel better about themselves. Could you give up a few hours each week to befriend someone; to chat to them on the phone, meet them for a coffee or go along to a medical appointment with them? Full training and ongoing support is given. For further information, please contact Kelly McKnight or Annette Wilson in Edinburgh (0131 441 6989) or Mariegold Akomode in Glasgow (0141 333 9393). October 2011 Positive Interest

Focus on...

Focus on Health Promotion Promoting health amongst people living with HIV or Hepatitis C is much broader than managing physical symptoms. Here at Waverley Care we believe that good health includes physical, emotional and social factors. Being socially isolated has a negative impact on emotional health and, in turn, on physical health. To counteract social isolation, our two Health Promotion Workers, Maro and Gaby, offer activities which bring people together for a specific purpose, for example to participate in workshops, to go for a walk or to tend to our allotment. Our weekly yoga classes offer the opportunity for people to strengthen muscles, whilst enjoying mental relaxation. This has the added benefit of reducing stress which, in turn, helps to boost the immune system. The walking group provides an opportunity to discover new places, develop friendships and grow in fitness. The programme incorporates both gentle walks and more ambitious rambles. Workshops are also offered on a regular basis and recent topics have included stress management and healthy eating. The opportunity to cook and eat a lunch with others on the healthy eating workshop provided a good social opportunity, with the added benefit of learning about immune-boosting foods. As a result of the Health Promotion Project, people with HIV or Hepatitis C are better equipped with the knowledge and information to look after themselves and to maximise their physical and emotional health.

Sarah’s story Sarah was diagnosed with HIV when she was in her late ‘50s. The shock of the diagnosis left her depressed, lacking in confidence and unwilling to venture out of the house. She was referred to our Health Promotion Project by her hospital three years ago and, with encouragement from staff, she gradually began to participate in the Isis women’s group and to go on occasional walks with the Walking Group. Looking back, it is hard to envisage the nervous, anxious woman who first came along to these groups. 6

Positive Interest October 2011

Sarah is now happy and confident. She is extremely active, participating in all the Waverley Care walks and workshops and engaging in other fitness classes at her local leisure centre. The support of staff and the workshops she has attended have given her the knowledge and confidence to help her live positively with HIV. Sarah knows that she has a good support network through the friends she has made here and that she can look towards the future with optimism.

Farewell to David Johnson

Farewell to David Johnson David Johnson has been Director of Waverley Care for the past 17 years. We bid farewell to him early in December.

Q: Why did you join Waverley Care? A: I’d been involved in HIV since the mid-80s when I was working for the Family Service Unit in Edinburgh and we worked with families affected by HIV. When I moved to Banardos, I was involved in delivering training across the UK on HIV so when the position of Director came up it appealed as an interesting progression of the work that I had been doing. Personally I had also lost friends to AIDS and it felt good to be doing something that could make a difference.

Q: What have you loved the most about your job? A: Seeing people progress from feeling that they have very little to live for and life is pretty bleak through to feeling good about themselves and holding down jobs and in some cases becoming colleagues.

Q: What have been the highlights of working here? A: There are too many to mention and most are probably obscure or too lengthy to tell here. They’re all about the people I’ve met. I’ve loved meeting people from a huge and diverse range of backgrounds.

Q: What are you currently reading? A: ‘The Constant Gardener’ by John Le Carré. It is very well-written and has lots of insight into both the aid industry in Africa as well as the politics of international development.

Q: What have been the most frustrating parts to your job? A: The fact that Milestone has been constantly under review for 17 years. That, and the ongoing stigma that exists around HIV.

Q: What has been your favourite Waverley Care music event? A: I love Edinburgh festivals because there is so much going on from the Festival of Spirituality and Peace to the Fringe and the International Festival – they all have great musical events to go and hear. But above that it has to be Waverley Care’s Christmas Carol Competition and Concert. It was great to see an idea come to life and fantastic to see two carols published in the latest edition of Carols for Choirs. Q: Where would we find you on your ideal holiday? A: A mix of sunshine, sights and culture. Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? A: Definitely in the garden and, if not there, then travelling.

event in support of

October 2011 Positive Interest

Fundraising

Our tireless Pleasance bucket-shakers brought in over £28,000 – an amazing feat considering the dismal weather! Once again, Ryan Taylor organised a fantastic Tartan Ribbon Comedy Benefit. The sell-out event was hosted by ‘Show me the Funny’ semifinalist, Stuart Goldsmith, and included the best of Pleasance comedy. Tickets were like gold dust for the Off the Kerb Comedy Gala at the Festival Theatre which was recorded for BBC3 and was hosted by the wonderful Jon Richardson and Andi Osho. See regular repeats of the show on BBC3. New Town Bar’s Sunday FUNdraisers for Waverley Care had so many acts wanting to participate that they extended to a couple of Fridays! Hosted by Bob Downe and Scott Agnew, over £2,000 was raised. Our own events included a stunning concert with John Rutter as part of the Festival of Spirituality & Peace. John conducted 400 ‘come & singers’ as they performed his Requiem in St Cuthbert’s Church raising over £7,000. Loud & Proud Choir again offered a programme of varied music and sumptuous harmonies in their annual concert at Greyfriars Kirk, sponsored by Mowat Hall Dick. This year they were also joined by London Gay Men’s Chorus group ‘Far from Kansas’. Last, but by no means least, Grassroots Theatre Company from Zimbabwe, stayed at Milestone House as they brought their show ‘Africa Heart & Soul’ to the Festival. They found time to both perform for residents and put on a benefit performance raising almost £500. Thank you to everyone who supported us during the festival. Ken Dee (main) ‘Off the Kerb Comedy Gala’ hosts Jon Richardson (right-top) and Andi Osho (right-middle); (right) Loud & Proud

Positive Interest October 2011

August was again a busy time for Waverley Care with lots of fantastic events and activities.

Festival Review

Fundraising

Tartan Ribbon Comedy Benefit

New Town Bar Sunday FUNdraisers

(bottom left) Imran Yusuf

(clockwise from top left) Margaret Cho; fundraiser Ali, Michelle McManus* & New Town Bar’s Stephen; The Sundaes; Guy Morgan; Bob Downe**

Our #laffoffstigma campaign helped raise awareness of the stigma of HIV by linking people to our blog and website. The accompanying joke competition was won by Tom Walton for… “Tried to book an Elvis impersonator once. Got put through to a call centre. Had to press 1 for the money, 2 for the show…”

A big Fringe thank you to: Anthony, Gemma, Ryan and all at Pleasance; Edinburgh Festival Theatre; Edinburgh Music Theatre; EUSA; Far from Kansas; Festival of Spirituality & Peace; Grassroots Theatre Company; Lloyds Banking Group; Loud & Proud Choir; MedRAG; Mowat Hall Dick LLP; Bob Downe, Scott Agnew, Jimmy and Stephen at New Town Bar; Addison, Verity and Mig at Off the Kerb; Stanley Reilly; John Rutter; McAlister Matheson Music; Omni Music; Virgin Money; Adrian, Angela, Jamie and Sophie, our collection co-ordinators and not forgetting our wonderful volunteers (at the Pleasance and operating our money counting machine!).

Thank you to... Bathgate Benefit Centre, The Cattanach Charitable Trust, Clara E Burgess Charity, Cruden Foundation, Edinburgh Children’s Holiday Fund, Gilead Sciences Ltd, The Henry Smith Charity, Hope Trust, Hospital Saturday Fund Charitable Trust, J K Young Endowment Fund, Mainhouse Charitable Trust, Moffat Charitable Trust, Northmoor Trust, Rice University, Scottish Legal Aid Board, St Paul’s & St George’s 10% Fund, The Stafford Trust and John Watson’s Trust for their kind support. Edinburgh Gay Men’s Chorus and Edinburgh Music Theatre for the post-concert collections. Lloyds Banking Group for their ongoing support with

the Day to Make a Difference volunteering at Milestone and during the Fringe, and to Virgin Money for their support in these areas. A special thank you all who have done events for us: to Mark McIver, Thomas Young, Dorothy Cowie and Sheila Morris for their extreme bravery in jumping out of a plane; to Russell Beswick, who is coming to the end of his extraordinary feat of running 4 marathons, 1 kilomathon and 10 half marathons and to our wonderful Milestone staff Tam Armstrong, Hazel Bryson-Chalmers and Susan Peck for walking the West Highland Way in the tail end of a hurricane! October 2011 Positive Interest

Events Diary

Supporting Our Work

Saturday 26th November – Thursday 15th December 2011

Please consider making a donation towards our work. Title

Forename(s)

‘First Press’ Exhibition Inaugural exhibition of the Spectrum Print Collective Whitespace Gallery, 11 Gayfield Sq, Edinburgh EH1 3NJ 10am – 6pm Free Entry Raising funds for Waverley Care Contact Alison on 0131 556 9710 for more information.

Surname Address

Postcode

Email*

Phone

I would like to: give a single gift of £25

(please make cheques payable to ‘Waverley Care’ or to donate by credit / debit

card go to www.waverleycare.org and click ‘donate now’) (

£50

£100

Thursday 1st December 2011

other £

tick here if you do not want to receive an acknowledgement of your donation.)

give a regular donation

To the manager of

(bank)

Address Postcode

Bank Sort Code

Please pay Waverley Care, Royal Bank of Scotland, 61 Forrest Road,

Edinburgh EH1 1QP (Sort Code 83-19-09, Account No. 00286995) the sum of

With Gift Aid for every £1 you give Waverley Care can get an

extra 25p from HM Revenue & Customs at no cost to you ‡

I wish to treat all donations I make to Waverley Care as Gift Aid donations

until I notify you otherwise.

Signature

monthly starting on

Account No.

/ 20

until further notice.

World AIDS Day Community Gatherings Edinburgh 6.30pm St John’s Church, Princes Street, Edinburgh EH2 4BJ Glasgow 7.00pm St Mary’s Cathedral, Great Western Rd, Glasgow G4 9JB Inverness 7.30pm St Andrew’s Cathedral, 15 Ardross Street, Inverness IV3 5NB Free Entry Visit www.waverleycare.org for full details. Saturday 28th January 2012, 2pm

Note Learning Rehearsal for 'Come & Sing' Handel's Messiah St Margaret's Newlands, 353 Kilmarnock Road, Glasgow G43 2DS Saturday 4th February 2012, 7.30pm

Date

/ 20

Your gift can provide: £25

can provide a Spiritual and Pastoral Care Session to offer spiritual

support for an individual, of any faith or no faith, affected by HIV or Hep C.

£50

can Train a Buddy Volunteer. Buddies provide one-to-one support and

friendship to people living with HIV or Hep C. Support is much needed as

being HIV/Hep C positive commonly brings with it feelings of isolation and

depression.

£100 can offer One-to-One Emotional Support for a Child affected by HIV

over a four week period. Liaising with parents, social workers and school

to ensure the best all-round support for the child.

Please return this form to:

Waverley Care, FREEPOST RSBX-RZUK-EBRZ, 1 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6NB * By providing your email address you agree to Waverley Care contacting you by email. Waverley Care will process your personal information for administration purposes, to further our charitable aims and to keep you updated with our work. We will not share your information with any other agencies or organisations. ‡ Waverley Care will claim Gift Aid tax relief of 25p on every £1 you give. You must pay an amount of UK Income Tax, and/or Capital Gains tax, at least equal to the tax that we will reclaim on your donations.

'Come & Sing' Handel's Messiah Conductor: Christopher Bell St Mary's Cathedral, Great Western Rd, Glasgow G4 9JB (Rehearsal 2pm) Singers Tickets £13.50 (£9.50 conc.) Audience Tickets £10 (£8 conc.) Visit www.waverleycare.org/messiah or Tel: 0131 556 9710 Sunday 4th March 2012

Meadows Marathon Full and half-marathon and fun-run places available. Contact Jane on 0131 556 9710 Sunday 27th May 2012

Edinburgh Marathon Raise funds for Waverley Care. Full marathon and ‘Hairy Haggis’ team relay places available. Contact Jane on 0131 556 9710 For more details go to: www.waverleycare.org

Christmas Card: Mail Order Form Please return completed form to: Waverley Care, FREEPOST RSBX-RZUK-EBRZ, 1 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh EH3 6NB Your name and address:

Delivery Address [if different]:

Card Title 1 City of David 126mm x 126mm

Sale Price £3.50/pack 10 £3.50/pack 10

3 Eleven Pipers

£3.50/pack 10

121mm x 121mm

B A

4 Hiding in the snow

£3.50/pack 10

5 Modern Angel

£3.25/pack 10

126mm x 126mm 120mm x 120mm

6 Santa at the Harbour

£3.50/pack 10

7 The one that got away

£3.25/pack 10

8 Winter Friends

£3.25/pack 10

126mm x 126mm 128mm x 128mm

117mm x 117mm

9 Santa Claus 180mm x 85mm

A A

£3.50/pack 10 A

10 Highland Cows 86mm x 195mm

Cost

2 Angels Adoring 127mm x 127mm

Qty

£3.50/pack 10

Cards Total

* Order Value £10.50 or under: £2.50

Order Value over £10.50:

£3.50

Post/Packaging*

A Season’s Greetings B With Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year

Donation [optional] Total

Please make cheques payable to ‘Waverley Care’. To pay by credit/debit card please order your cards online at www.waverleycare.org

Scottish Charity No. SC036500

Thank you for your order!

Christmas Cards

1 City of David 126mm x 126mm

2 Angel’s Adoring

3 Eleven Pipers

127mm x 127mm

121mm x 121mm

4 Hiding in the snow

5 Modern Angel

6 Santa at the Harbour

126mm x 126mm

120mm x 120mm

126mm x 126mm

7 The one that got away...

8 Winter Friends

9 Santa Claus

128mm x 128mm

117mm x 117mm

180mm x 85mm A

Greetings: A – Season’s Greetings B – With Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year 10 Highland Cows 86mm x 195mm