Brigstowe’s “Positive Voices” Programme, which includes our Peer Mentoring, HIV Awareness Training and Recently Diagnosed Workshop, was set up five years ago with funding from The National Lottery Community Fund. After lots of hard work and a full evaluation of these services, we submitted an application for continuation funding. We are delighted to say that our application was successful and we have been awarded a five year continuation grant enabling us to continue and develop Positive Voices.
This is amazing news and it means these vital services can remain in place. All three services involve people living with HIV in their delivery which is what makes them so effective. Many of our past and current clients know how beneficial our peer mentoring service is and we’ve also been able to share our service model with other organisations around the UK.
Rami Ghali, Brigstowe’s CEO said “We are thrilled that the National Lottery Community Fund have decided to provide continuation funding for Positive Voices. We’re also really grateful to every one of our volunteers living with HIV who have given their time, experiences and enthusiasm which is the special ingredient of these services. Looking ahead we’re excited about developing Positive Voices further in the fight to eliminate HIV stigma and working with people living with HIV to improve their quality of life”.
“That realisation they are not alone, someone else has been there…and someone you can speak to again in the future, get support from and just to take away that fear and that anxiety of feeling like it is purely on your own shoulders. It is reassuring.” (HIV clinical staff)
“As a mentee, years ago, it was great. It was the only place I could go to and talk openly to someone, without fear, and it was a safe space to cry or to say how I was feeling…and it was this experience that led me to be a Mentor with Brigstowe” (Mentor).
