menu

Sexual Health sector unites against government cuts

HIV and sexual health sector organisations unite in action against government cuts as budgets are slashed by councils.

Stop the HIV Cuts

HIV charities from Liverpool (Sahir Trust) to Leicestershire (LASS) to London come together with health professional bodies, British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), and British HIV Association to launch a new national campaign opposing cuts to HIV services across the country called ‘Support people with HIV: Stop the cuts’.

With budgets being set for 2015-16 and increasing numbers of local authorities are pulling funding from HIV support services.

The campaign has written to Secretary of State for Health, Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt calling for a meeting to discuss the impact of these cuts, demand effective commissioning, adequate funding, and access to support services for all people living with HIV.

HIV services in both Berkshire and Oxfordshire, run by Thames Valley Support and Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) respectively, have been cut by over £100,000 between them. In Berkshire this equates to a loss of a third of funding, and will directly affect 300 people living with HIV in both Slough and Bracknell.

In David Cameron’s back yard, Oxfordshire County Council has cut Terrence Higgins Trust’s £50,000 funding, which is forcing the closure of its local centre. The reality is that there will be no HIV Prevention and Support service in the whole county after April 2016, with almost 500 people left with no alternative support service.

In Portsmouth the HIV support service, provided by Positive Action, has been cut by approximately £26,000 by Portsmouth City Council. Its Hampshire service has been granted an interim support payment of £30,000, less than half of the amount it historically received.

In Bexley and Bromley, equality and diversity charity, METRO is facing cuts to HIV support services of over £80,000.

Public Heath England’s national HIV figures show that in 2014 alone over 6,000 people were diagnosed with HIV, while People Living with HIV Stigma Index UK– found that stigma had prevented 15 per cent of people surveyed from accessing their GP in the last year, 66 per cent had avoided dental care and 14 per cent had received negative comments from healthcare workers.

Despite the obvious roles specialist HIV support services play in combatting this they are being reduced to almost ineffective levels, or cut completely, in a short-term cash save measure.

Alex Sparrowhawk
Alex Sparrowhawk

Alex Sparrowhawk, Membership and Involvement Officer THT, said: “As a person living with HIV, I can prove to Jeremy Hunt that HIV support services are vital to dealing with your diagnosis and managing this health condition. The national campaign is about sounding the alarm to policy makers, councils, and the public – these essential services are under serious threat and we need your help.

“At a time when rates of HIV are increasing, stigma is as apparent as ever, we are seeing the start of a disturbing trend of local authorities across the country scrapping HIV services.”

Yusef Azad
Yusef Azad

Yusef Azad, Director of Strategy National Aids Trust added: “HIV remains a stigmatised and misunderstood condition. It’s not the same as other health issues where people can rely of support and sympathy from friends and colleagues.

“HIV support services can be the only place where people are open about their status, the only places they can find advice and support, the only place they can talk to other people with HIV.

“They are an essential component of the long-term care of people with HIV. To remove them would leave a lot of vulnerable people stranded.”

Dr Greg Ussher
Dr Greg Ussher

Dr Greg Ussher, METRO Charity CEO, said: “People living with HIV can be some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.

“Proposed cuts of up to 100 per cent to HIV support services will decimate vital provision for people that cannot speak out against their local authority’s plans for fear of the stigma publicly disclosing their HIV status might bring.”

The Treasury last year announced it was cutting public health budgets in-year by £200 million with reductions in the funding for public health set to continue this year. The feasibility of the Chancellor’s plan to allow local authorities to income generate to fund social care services will be tested in poorer areas of the country – those areas that also see the highest rates of HIV.

Support people with HIV: Stop the cuts is also appealing to members of the public to take an e-action to show their support – write to their local council leader and ask what the council is doing to support local people living with HIV.

Oasis report on substance misuse and focus on children for ‘safeguarding day’

WEB.200The drug and alcohol misuse service, Brighton Oasis Project hosted an event on Friday, February 19 to highlight the vital services needed for young people in the region and promote their key messages for the future.

The event coincides with National Safeguarding Day on Monday, February 29 which is the one day this year where organisations Stop what they are doing, Look at their safeguarding practices, Listen to young people and take action.

Last Friday’s event was attended by delegates from the local community including a number of Brighton Oasis Project service users who described their situations, their drug and alcohol dependency and the impact the service has had on their lives and the lives of their children.

Peter Kyle MP
Peter Kyle MP

Peter Kyle, MP for Hove, is a champion for youth services and making a difference to young people’s lives through his work with youth unemployment charity Working for Youth.

Speaking prior to the event last Friday, he said: “I am determined to ensure that at this crucial time, we do everything we can to support the next generation. National Safeguarding Day is a fantastic initiative and it’s important that we focus on all areas where our children are being affected from alcohol and substance misuse to unemployment. The services which Brighton Oasis Project provide are vital to the region and I am proud to support an organisation which has such a positive effect on the lives of children impacted by drugs and alcohol misuse in the city.”

Brighton Oasis Project provide a range of services which all contribute to safeguarding children in the city, giving care and support to around 175 children a year directly, with many more safeguarded indirectly as a result of their services for adults.

In a recent report for Channel 4 during Children of Alcoholics Week it was revealed that 2.6 million children, roughly one in five, live with a hazardous drinker. Two young children from Brighton Oasis Project’s Young Oasis service who lived with a parents with an alcohol problem were interviewed for the report and said their lives “were without question better now” having attended the service.

Jo-Anne Welsh
Jo-Anne Welsh

 Jo-Anne Welsh, Director for Brighton Oasis Project, explained: “Brighton Oasis Project has been working with women with drug and alcohol problems for 19 years and since our inception we have provide a crèche. The links between substance misuse and risks to children are well-known and we know that women are unable to access treatment without child care and that children affected by substance misuse are vulnerable.”

Caroline Lucas MP was represented at the event by Councillor Alex Phillips from the Green Party, who gave an impassioned speech about how impressed and inspired she was by the work Brighton Oasis Project do in the city.

Jo-Anne added: “We’re very grateful to everyone that attended our event to hear staff along with current and former clients talk about our services and the impact they have on children’s safety and wellbeing. We want to increase the visibility and give a voice to children affected by substance misuse in the family and let local businesses know about our evaluation of the POCAR service which highlights the social value created by the POCAR programme which works with parents whose children have social work involvement as a result of their parents substance misuse.”

National Safeguarding Day is organised by the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS), who urge organisations to pledge to spend some time on February 29, 2016 reviewing their safeguarding policy and/or practice, and run safeguarding sessions with young people on Monday, February 29.

For more information about Brighton Oasis Project, click here:

FOOD REVIEW: No 32 on Duke Steet

No 32, on Duke Street introduce two new menus for the spring, offering brunch, fish and traditional grill options along with classic dishes including fish and chips.

WEB.600

No 32, a glamorous place to eat as well as to be seen eating, has successfully created an dining ambiance unparalleled anywhere in the city.

The restaurant is stylish and spacious with little nooks and crannies where you can escape for a little more privacy and there is a wide choice of chairs to sit on ranging from hard wood to soft comfy sofas for lounging and drinking a cocktail. The restaurant is framed by a spectacular balcony where you can sit and watch the theatre below or better still you can sit at the long bar on the ground floor, have a cocktail, a snack and let the people on the balcony look at you.

The 32 Street Casual Menu (not available from 6.30pm on Saturday) includes:

A Brunch section featuring Eggs Royale with muffin, smoked salmon, poached eggs, caviar and hollandaise (£12), Poached Eggs, Avocado and Chorizo on sourdough toast (£9) and Fluffy Pancakes with bacon, banana, maple syrup (£7) amongst others.

A Burger section featuring the No 32 Classic Burger with bacon, monterey jack, relish and pickles (£10), a Salmon Burger with cornichons, parsley, aioli and calamari (£11), Brie Burger with caramelised onion, lettuce and tomato (£11) and the top of the range Truffle Burger braised in beer with onion rings, black truffle paste and truffled parmesan fries (£18). All burger patties are made from a 6oz dry-aged chuck steak and served with fries on a brioche bun.

The Chicken and Salad section features a Goat’s Cheese Salad with pomegranate, quinoa, fig, rocket and beetroot (£9.50), Chargrilled Chicken Salad with avocado, red pepper, crispy capers, mustard mayo, baby gem lettuce (£10.50) and a Slow Roast Chicken served with fries and a choice of herb butter or spicy sauce (half £12, full £23) .

The Classic Section features Fish & Chips with peas, tartare sauce (£12.50) and Minute Steak with salad, confit garlic butter and chips (£12).

The Dessert Section offers among other favourites a Chocolate Brownie Sundae with honeycomb, vanilla ice cream, salt, caramel (£6), Sticky Toffee Pudding with white chocolate ice cream, toffee sauce (£6), Strawberry Trifle with strawberry sorbet, black pepper, creme patissiere (£7) and a first class selection of British and French Cheeses with grapes, chutney and water biscuits (£8).

WEB.600.2
The 32 Grill Menu includes a selection of platters, ethically sourced fish choices and a selection of beef steaks (including sirloin, rib-eye, fillet and beef rump cap), chicken and pork.

Starters include: Salt & Pepper Squid with Singapore sauce (£6.50), Feta & Watermelon Salad with Israeli couscous, mint with lemon oil (£6) and Steak Tartare with whisky mayo, shallots, parsley, confit egg york and sourdough toast (£8.50).

Sharing Platters include: Veg Tempura Platter with chilli salt and ginger soy dip (£10), Tempura Fish Platter with chilli salt and ponzu sauce (£12.50) and a Charcuterie Board with pickles, crostini, brie de meaux and homemade chutney (£13).

Fish choices include: Whole Chargrilled Sea Bream in Thai curry butter and charred brocolli (£16) and Roast Cod with mussels, chorizo, new potatoes and samphire (£17).

Grill Choices include: Lobster cooked in confit garlic butter with fries (at market price), Sirloin steak (7oz; £18, 10oz; £24), Rib-Eye steak (7oz; £19, 10oz; £24), Beef Rump Cap steak (8oz; £20), Fillet Steak (7oz; £28) or if you really want to spoil yourself with Bone-In Rib steak (20oz; £45.00). A No 32 Classic Burger bacon, monterey jack, relish, pickles and fries costs just (£10) while the Squash, Aubergine & Goat’s Cheese Stack with arancini, pine nuts and fine beans (£13) is the sole vegetarian choice on the grill menu.

On our lunch time visit, I chose for starters Steak Tartare with whisky mayo, shallots, parsley, confit egg yolk and sourdough toast (£8.50) from the 32 Grill Menu. Some might think slightly pricey, but I can guarantee worth every bite with perfectly balanced flavours offering a slight kick from the whisky mayo. My dining partner, a vegetarian chose the Charred Tomato Toast with baby mozzarella and basil (£6) from the Brunch section of the 32 Street Casual menu. The tomatoes were sweet and tender the mozzerella lightly flavoured and moist and the dish was charred to perfection.

For mains I chose the Chargrilled Chicken Salad (£10.50) from the Street Casual menu. Tender chicken well marinated and charred served on a lush bed of baby gem lettuce with avocado, red pepper, crispy capers with the mustard mayo lifting this salad to another level. It was really very satisfying and alone will ensure I will return to dine at No 32. My dining partner chose the Falafel Burger from the Street Casual menu with tahini, halloumi, grilled aubergine, herb mayo, and served with fries (£9). He said the burger was exceptional but thought maybe more effort could have gone into the presentation of this dish which looked ordinary on the plate.

Even though it was lunch we both found room for desert. I chose the selection of British and French Cheeses with grapes, chutney and water biscuits, costing a very reasonable (£8). The portion was huge and the cheeses had been given plenty of time to breath and included a lovely blue and camembert. My dining partner indulged the Passionfruit Cheesecake served with dark chocolate sorbet and passionfruit jelly (£6.50). A triumph!

Having restricted ourselves mainly to the Street Casual menu at our lunch visit, I sneaked back later in the week to try some main course grills from the 32 Grill menu.

The 10oz Rib Eye steak served with slow roasted tomatoes and salad (£24) was cooked perfectly, medium rare as requested, and the steak was well marbled and full of flavour while my dining partner tried the Iberia Pork-Chop with burnt apple, creamed potato and pointed cabbage (£16.50). He found the pork tasty and tender and well set off by the burnt apple, while the creamed potato and pointed cabbage provided the icing on this particular dish.

When ordering from the 32 Grill menu most of the steaks need vegetables and fries which can be ordered from the separate Sides section on the menu.

I enjoyed both my visits to No 32. The venue is perfect for socialising and chatting over a meal and no doubt, will really come into its own in the warmer weather when you can also dine outside on the pavement. On both visits there was no loud background music playing which for me is a big plus but most important of all the staff were attentive, well-trained and beautifully presented.

My only very slight criticism is that the vegetarian choices were thin on the ground and limited to just one choice in each section. Maybe something that could be considered when constructing the next menus.

You will find No 32 at 32 Duke Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1AG
Telephone: 01273 77 33 88
Open daily: from 11.30am to 11pm on Sunday to Thursday and to 9.30pm on Friday and Saturday

For more information, click here:

 

X