The GMI Partnership, led by METRO Charity with Positive East and West London Gay Men’s Project working with NHS Freedoms Shop, has been awarded just under £1 million over two years to continue to provide outreach and condom distribution across London to gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men (MSM).
The London HIV Prevention Programme is funded by all London councils to help prevent HIV transmission across the capital. From April 1 2015, the organisations will deliver 1.5 million condoms to MSM and venues across London and will have direct contact with over 160,000 MSM via face-to-face and online interventions.
Dr Greg Ussher, METRO Chief Executive said: “With the numbers of people living with HIV continuing to rise and at their highest in London, we must continue to do all we can to help prevent transmission and to support people to take care of themselves and others.
“Our experience of working in this field with partners for many, many years is that working alongside communities most affected is the best defence.
“Gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men continue to be most at risk of HIV, along with African communities, and we will continue to make alliances and work together across the capital.
“We look forward to the report later in the year with recommendations for service delivery for African communities in London. METRO and our partners in the GMI Partnership have an excellent track record in this field and we will continue to reach out and support communities.”
Karen Skipper, Chief Executive of WLGMP, added: “The GMI Partnership and Freedoms are delighted to announce our newly formalised partnership for this London-wide contract which will cement our existing collaborative work and further enhance services to MSM gay men in London. We are utterly committed as agencies to making a difference in the capital and will build on our excellent links and networks over the next 2 years.”
Tanya Percy, Service Manager of Freedoms, said: “Condom distribution has a crucial role to play in HIV prevention and the Freedoms Shop has built up a wealth of experience as the leading condom distributor for HIV prevention in London since 1999. By joining forces with METRO, WLGMP and Positive East, the Freedoms shop will provide a more comprehensive service for MSM gay men in London, something we’ve very proud to be a part of.”
Steve Worrall, Deputy Director of Positive East, concluded: “Positive East is proud that this contract will help to enhance the local work that all agencies are providing across London: it compliments local provision and ensures that people are able to access local testing and behavioural interventions provided by the partners as well as enable the provision of condom availability across London.”
For more information about GMI Partnership, click here: