BARNSLEY
CHRONICLE
December 4, 2009
Yorkshire’s leading weekly newspaper
Art work: The Mayor Coun John Parkinson, Liz Grundy and Karl Cooper, Chairman of +ME at sculpture unveiling.
Support group handed £5k
By Ian Thompson:
The SUPPORT group for people living with and affected by HIV has had a boost. +ME, which is based at The Core on County Way, Barnsley, has been awarded £5,000 from pharmaceuticals company Gilead. The money will be spent on supporting local services, trips, newsletters and art classes. Meanwhile, Mayor Coun John Parkinson unveiled a sculpture on Tuesday 1st December World Aids Day. The work of art by Liz Grundy depicts a hand holding a ribbon. It was unveiled at an empty shop in the Metropolitan Centre which has been turned into a makeshift art gallery.
Please call us on 01226 320 148 or check out our new website by clicking onto http://www.plusme.org/ contact us on info@plusme.org
Monday, 1 February 2010
Friday, 13 November 2009
News UPDATES - The world strives forward with barak at the helm.
The Government’s consultation on the Green Paper No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility.
Like other organisations +me commends the Government’s commitment to ensure disabled people have the additional support they need to get back into employment if they are sufficiently well to do so.
However, concerns about the new conditionality that accompanies this additional support, particularly because of the unique difficulties faced by people living with HIV. It is important to consider these difficulties within the disability framework as the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 defined people living with HIV as disabled from the point of diagnosis.
The reforms are likely to have serious consequences for people living with HIV. The
DWP website notes that 1.3% of the population claim Jobseekers Allowance and 3.7% claim Incapacity Benefit. However, a study carried out of people living with HIV in London found that the rates of claiming benefit amongst people living with HIV were significantly higher.
HIV in the new October 2009 - Following the announcement of detailed analysis of the phase III Thai HIV vaccine trial, Deborah Jack, Chief Executive of NAT, comments;
"The Thai trial is a milestone in the search for a vaccine against HIV. Detailed analysis shows that the benefit was modest and primarily in the heterosexual community. However, it remains the case that this was the first ever vaccine candidate to show protection in humans.
These results are an incredible opportunity for scientists to discover new clues about HIV and learn how a HIV vaccine could work in practise. These lessons will be used to advance new vaccine candidates that are already in the development pipeline.
Today work to get treatment to people with HIV is vital, but we also have a responsibility to future generations to continue investing in developing an effective vaccine that will end the HIV pandemic."
HIV in the news November 2009 - President Barack Obama has announced that the 22 year old ban on allowing people living with HIV into the United States will be lifted. HIV infection will be officially removed from the definition of communicable diseases of public health significance as of January 1st, 2010.
Deborah Jack, Chief Executive of NAT (National AIDS Trust) said;
"We are delighted by today's announcement. NAT has long campaigned for the lifting of travel restrictions. A recent NAT research study1 identified restrictions on travelling overseas as the biggest limitation faced at work by people living with HIV in the UK. This decision will make an enormous difference to the lives of many HIV positive people and is a real step forward for equality."
Sex and Relationships Education as part of the National Curriculum
Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE education) will be made compulsory in schools from September 2011. Ed Balls has confirmed that personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE education) including sex and relationships education, will be made compulsory in schools from September 2011.
So to get you in the mood weve added a little music click the link , kick ya heels and book your trip!!
Monday, 7 September 2009
Courses all up and running
Our 1st Seven week self management programme completed in July with 7 clients successfully completing the course.
August we held a Food Hygiene Course level 2 , many thanks to Steve at Fareshare for this training and the Negotiating and Advocacy course went ahead and proved to be really popular,
September Courses are First Aid and An introduction to Volunteering
Anybody wishing to put their name forward please give us a call on 01226 320148
or email us info@plusme.org
Investors in people accreditation
June 2009 saw +me accredited with the Nationally recognised Investors In People Award, +me were delighted to have worked with Louise Barlow in gaining this award and are truly proud to accept this as a sign that we are doing everything we should be , not just for our clients but for our volunteers too.
Monday, 11 May 2009
Chester Zoo May 2009
Thankyou to Everybody who attended the +me Summer excursion to Chester Zoo, with a full coach of over 40 attending 
, it was a great family day out and a welcome
break for our clients , their carers and our co-workers from our local support and health agencies. There were many great things to see at Chester Zoo , there was even some unique electric chair formation dancing!! Quite a spectacle in itself.
The really great thing to see and a true measure was the smiling faces amongst everybody who came along and enjoyed the day, and ofcourse the snoring on the bus during the journey way home! Proof of a great RESULT!!!!.
, it was a great family day out and a welcome break for our clients , their carers and our co-workers from our local support and health agencies. There were many great things to see at Chester Zoo , there was even some unique electric chair formation dancing!! Quite a spectacle in itself.
The really great thing to see and a true measure was the smiling faces amongst everybody who came along and enjoyed the day, and ofcourse the snoring on the bus during the journey way home! Proof of a great RESULT!!!!.
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Looking to get into shape?
Looking to get in shape? Wanting to take up a new form of exercise?
Barnsley Premier Leisure, based at the Metrodome Leisure Complex, is offering 24 free gym, swim or class lessons to people who suffer from certain conditions, as part of its Exercise Referral scheme. If you suffer with-
Barnsley Premier Leisure, based at the Metrodome Leisure Complex, is offering 24 free gym, swim or class lessons to people who suffer from certain conditions, as part of its Exercise Referral scheme. If you suffer with-
· Asthma
· Corticosteroids
· Depression
· Diabetes
· Dieting
· Hysterectomy
· Menopause
· Obesity
· Osteoarthritis
· Rheumatoid
· Arthritis
Then you may be eligible. To qualify, consult your GP or practise nurse to be recommended for the scheme.
+ME went bowling recently with 21 of you turning up to strike and make turkeys of yourselves, a great time was had, we are thinking of Chester Zoo for our Summer jaunt, so if your interested come in and put your name down , bus seats are filling up fast!!
Bone Marrow News
Bone marrow transplant delivers hope, but no concrete cure
After a story hit the news late last year that an American man had been “cured” of HIV after receiving a bone marrow transplant, much speculation ensued as to whether a widespread cure for the condition had been uncovered.
The patient, 42, who remains unnamed, underwent the transplant in Berlin’s Charite Clinic three years ago, in which he was given the bone marrow of a donor who had a natural resistance to HIV, a condition which is thought to exist in roughly 1% of Europeans.
Following the transplant the patient has shown no signs of suffering from the condition and has not received anti-retroviral treatment. However, HIV is known for its ability to lie latently within the system, and although tests to detect the virus within the patient have uncovered no signs of its presence, scientific researchers are quick to state more extensive testing would need to take place before it could be confirmed that the virus had been permanently eradicated from his system.
Nonetheless, the patient’s apparent recovery has sparked much debate within the scientific community as to whether a widespread cure for HIV lies in bone marrow transplant. The prospect of transplants themselves being used as a common prevention is unlikely due to both the expensive and dangerous nature of the procedure, with 1 in 3 transplants resulting in the recipient dying. Rather, it is thought that through utilizing the resistant gene, a genetic therapy could be developed that would realign HIV sufferers’ cells to block the virus and neutralise its effects, and that this therapy could be administered through injection, making it relatively cheap and easily distributable.
Despite this possible breakthrough, leading scientists in the fields of Biochemistry and Immunology have asserted any cure of this nature is decades, rather than years away, a sentiment echoed by the Terrence Higgins Trust. Deputy Chief Executive Paul Ward stated-
"This case gives us something to explore in future studies but it's certainly not a quick fix as gene therapy is complex and expensive.
“With no cure in sight, prevention should be our number one priority”.
After a story hit the news late last year that an American man had been “cured” of HIV after receiving a bone marrow transplant, much speculation ensued as to whether a widespread cure for the condition had been uncovered.
The patient, 42, who remains unnamed, underwent the transplant in Berlin’s Charite Clinic three years ago, in which he was given the bone marrow of a donor who had a natural resistance to HIV, a condition which is thought to exist in roughly 1% of Europeans.
Following the transplant the patient has shown no signs of suffering from the condition and has not received anti-retroviral treatment. However, HIV is known for its ability to lie latently within the system, and although tests to detect the virus within the patient have uncovered no signs of its presence, scientific researchers are quick to state more extensive testing would need to take place before it could be confirmed that the virus had been permanently eradicated from his system.
Nonetheless, the patient’s apparent recovery has sparked much debate within the scientific community as to whether a widespread cure for HIV lies in bone marrow transplant. The prospect of transplants themselves being used as a common prevention is unlikely due to both the expensive and dangerous nature of the procedure, with 1 in 3 transplants resulting in the recipient dying. Rather, it is thought that through utilizing the resistant gene, a genetic therapy could be developed that would realign HIV sufferers’ cells to block the virus and neutralise its effects, and that this therapy could be administered through injection, making it relatively cheap and easily distributable.
Despite this possible breakthrough, leading scientists in the fields of Biochemistry and Immunology have asserted any cure of this nature is decades, rather than years away, a sentiment echoed by the Terrence Higgins Trust. Deputy Chief Executive Paul Ward stated-
"This case gives us something to explore in future studies but it's certainly not a quick fix as gene therapy is complex and expensive.
“With no cure in sight, prevention should be our number one priority”.
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