F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 | V O L . I I

Our classic newsletter with a new image

Sahir House article in the local news, check it out here: http://bit.do/SahirEcho

Scan the QR code to have this newsletter on your device!! LGBT History Month This campaign was initiated in the UK by Sue Sanders and as a Schools OUT UK project, which first took place in February 2005. The Month is an annual event in the United Kingdom taking place every February.

The event came in the wake of the abolition of Section 28 in 2003, the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 as well as the government's proposals to bring in a single equality act and a public duty, although this, in fact, did not come to fruition until 2010.

The Month is intended as a means to raise awareness of, and combat prejudice against the LGBT community while celebrating its achievement and diversity and making it more visible . The first celebration in 2005 saw the organisation of over 150 events around the UK. The second logo for the organisation behind the month was designed by LGBT typographer Tony Malone in 2006, and was reworked by him in 2007 when it then became the corporate logo for the national committee.

For more information and resources go to: https://lgbthistorymonth.org.uk/lgbt-hm-resources/

Unwanted gifts?

Sahir House is always looking to raise much needed funds and your unwanted gifts will be a welcome donation.

We use them for raffle prizes at events we hold. So if you are having a sort out, please remember us if you have things in good condition to donate to help our fundraising efforts.

Many thanks Sahir House Team

Date: Sunday 14th June 2020 Start: Seacombe Ferry, from Wirral Coastal Walk 8.30 - 10.30am Finish: Wirral Country Park Sunday 14th June Visitor Centre at Thurstaston. 2020 Distance: 15 miles. Interim completion points at 4, and 10 miles. Cost: The Registration Fee is £5 per walker online, £6 on the day and The walk has become a well-known annual £1 per child aged 10 and under event in the Wirral calendar and probably the Car Parking Parking: is available at biggest of its kind in the North West. Thurstaston from 8.00am on the day of the Walk. The car park will close by 5.30 pm. Why not join the Sahir House team and help us Return Trip: Buses are available raise much needed funds. between 12.30 pm and 5.30 pm from Thurstaston to West Kirby Station (£1 donation) and It is a fun event for walkers of all ages and Thurstaston to Seacombe Ferry (£3 abilities. Its main attraction, apart from the donation) exercise and the opportunity to view the beautiful Wirral coastline, is that Walkers can If you would like to support Sahir House and raise money through sponsorship for Sahir walk with the Sahir House strollers please contact House. Serena Cavanagh for a sponsor form and link to the online donations page for the walk. The Walk follows the Wirral coastline from Seacombe Ferry on the River Mersey to So dust off those walking shoes and invite, enroll, Wirral Country Park Visitor Centre at persuade, cajole, threaten or blackmail family Thurstaston, a distance of 15 miles. and friends into joining you for a great day out whilst raising money for Sahir House.

"That's it, I'm never having sex with anybody ever

again”: what helps people with HIV get over these feelings For people living with HIV, sexual adjustment after diagnosis is affected by fears of transmitting the virus and of possible rejection by sexual partners, new qualitative research shows. Healthy sexual adjustment over time is facilitated by partner acceptance; peer, community and professional support; and up-to-date knowledge of HIV transmission, including U=U.

Read more here:

http://bit.do/NAMfeb20

Image credit: Diagrammatic model of the process of sexual adjustment to HIV resulting from this analysis.

NEW STUDENT SOCIAL WORKERS!

Hi, I am Laura, I am a Social work student from Liverpool Hope University and this is my first placement. I can’t wait to get stuck in and learn all about Sahir house and help out as much as possible. Thank you for having me and I look forward to meeting everybody

My name is Maggie. I am an MA Social Work student at Liverpool Hope University. I am on placement at Sahir House for the next 70 working days. I am passionate about making a difference in peoples’ lives. My hobbies are reading and cooking. Looking forward to meeting you one day.

Hello my name is Jess. I really enjoy swimming, going for long walks with nice views, experiencing new restaurants but most of all I love visiting new cities.I am currently studying in Liverpool John Moore’s University; my end goal is to become a professional social worker. Sahir house is my first placement whilst at University. Whilst at Sahir house I will be developing my knowledge around HIV, asylum seekers and refugees and also helping clients throughout.Please come and visit WELCOME TO OUR NEW STUDENTS (FROM L-R) JESS, MAGGIE (SEATED) AND LAURA

A U G U S T 2 2 , 2 0 1 9

Hello dear readers, here we are in February 2020! I was a very brave boy the other day, I went to get my annual booster from the vet hooman. Slight pinch, but boy am I glad that’s over for another year!

I want to say THANK YOU and head rubs to everyone Hello friends, my name is Dixie English, I who has donated to the Sahir House foodbank and love lots of cuddles and treats. My it really is appreciated by so many people in need. hooman works at Sahir House as an The following are always very welcome: tinned Outreach Support Worker; helping lots of fish/meat, tinned tomatoes or other vegetables, other hoomans and their furry friends. tinned soup, pasta sauce, pasta, rice, tinned I’m pledging to support Ernie Tiddles and puddings, tinned fruit, coffee/tea, sugar, milk (UHT his plight to get more hoomans to donate or dried) jam, cereals, chocolate or snack bars, to the Sahir House foodbank, it really toiletries, toilet rolls, shaving products, tooth paste does make a difference! and brushes, sanitary products. See you all soon friends, love Dixie xxx

My furry friend of the month, this Thank you Dixie! If you have a furry month, is Dixie, what a beauty! friend who would like to be featured in my column, please email

me their picture to [email protected] . Tell me their name and something interesting about them. I love meeting and making new furry pals.

See you next month!! Love and tummy rubs Ernie Tiddles xx. Sahir House offer a variety of information to raise awareness of HIV and sexual health services.

We offer 1-hour free bite size information sessions at Sahir House – see list of dates below. Sessions are ideal for those working in the public sector including the voluntary & statutory sectors, student community and local businesses wanting to support Sahir Friday 27th March House. Friday 22nd May Friday 25th September An introduction to Sahir House services Friday 6th November Basic HIV facts Issues of stigma surrounding HIV Please go to the website to complete a HIV prevention & promotion booking form: HIV & Sahir House resources http://bit.do/SahirBooking

Specialist clinicians have limited knowledge of NHS charging rules for migrants

Services in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) are legally obliged to enforce rules on charging migrants and refugees, but clinicians working in HIV, sexual and reproductive health have significant gaps in their knowledge, according to a survey published last month in the Journal of Public Health. Seventy-one per cent said they would like more training on the topic. “Confusion over these regulations amongst healthcare professionals risks care being inappropriately online survey through relevant mailing lists and social delayed or denied,” warn Dr Beth Jones and media platforms. There were 343 valid responses from colleagues. across the UK, mostly from doctors (64%) and nurses (24%). In order to investigate specialist clinicians’ Full article here: knowledge, confidence and experience in dealing with the issue, the researchers promoted an http://bit.do/frksL

The latest annual report on HIV diagnosis, treatment Could UK HIV transmissions and testing in the UK should have come out, as they really go down to near-zero by 2030? normally do, in advance of World AIDS Day, 1 The latest report suggests so December last year. It did not, due to the embargo on government publications during the general election campaign.

Now released, the largely positive findings from Public Health England (PHE) provide evidence, via several different indicators, that new HIV infections within the UK are continuing to fall at such a rate that new diagnoses are outstripping them. Indeed, if new diagnoses continue at the same rate, they will exceed the total number of people with undiagnosed HIV in diagnoses in 2014. The decline was most marked in the UK by 2022, even if you add in the same number gay and bisexual men, where there was a 35% fall, of new infections each year. from 3480 to 2250, during the same period. The fall from the 7887 diagnoses in the peak year of 2004 is 44%. New diagnoses and incidence

The report says that 4453 people were diagnosed Full article here: with HIV in the UK in 2018, a fall of 29% since 6278 http://bit.do/frkvu

SAHIR HOUSE VOLUNTEER TEAM MEETING

Theme – to be confirmed but the She staff’s reception and continues to be to provide evening will include birthday welcomes guests with her smile, support to all areas of Sahir celebrations for Val Burton.Fun she has raises so much funds House. She is reliable, clever and games and riff raffle, more news over the years, too much to is an all-round fabulous amazing to come, watch this space. count! Val has been a solid woman is our Val! Sending lots buddy support volunteer of birthday wishes Val joined as a volunteer in helping many service users out February 2000 and has been an in the community and Val activist since.

Volunteer Team Meeting Thursday 27th February 5.45pm

SAHIR HOUSE RECRUITMENT AND UPDATE TRAINING COURSE Has it been a while since you Great opportunity to refresh completed the induction training your commitment and being course? Want to reflect on HIV part of the team and meet new information to help build volunteers. Saturday 28th confidence when talking to the March 2020 public about HIV? Need a day to For all current volunteers and update and refresh on your HIV new volunteers; trustees and 9.30am – 4.30pm awareness and meet up with staff Bring and share lunch, City centre other volunteers and staff and refreshments provided, no share lunch and chat together? cooking facilities. Travel location Then this is a day for you! expenses available. Please register your attendance It’s also a day many volunteers with Cath Turner requested when Tessa CEO [email protected] or send facilitated a volunteer team your apologies if you can’t make meeting some time ago. it.

#smearforsmear – Cervical Cancer Prevention Week 20-26 January

More info: http://bit.do/frDYwo

Feeding your baby when you have HIV

More info: http://bit.do/frDZY

THT Insight Briefing #3 Sexual Health of People Living with HIV

More info: http://bit.do/frD3j

HIV in the United Kingdom: Towards Zero HIV transmissions by 2030 2019 report Public Health England

More info: http://bit.do/frD3Z To find out more about up and coming events at Sahir House and details about about our outreach clinics please visit our website www.sahir.org.uk to view our online calendars. If you have any specific questions about our services please contact us via our website.