WELL DONE !!

Readers of Positive Lives will be pleased to know that Staffordshire Buddies has received confirmation of funding from all of its statutory funders for the financial year 2000-20001. This results from good planning, careful budgeting and the hard work of dedicated staff and volunteers. Inflationary increases have been agreed from all except North Staffs Health who have asked us to continue into the next 12 months on the same budget as the previous two years.

The confirmation of funding is also reassuring news for positive people who can feel confident that they can rely on the support and services provided by Staffordshire Buddies for the immediate future at least. However, for some HIV positive people in other parts of the United Kingdom the picture is not so rosy, as the recent two following announcements show:

Body Positive London has been forced to close:

In a press release Monday 22nd May we read…."In a devastating blow to the capital's HIV services, Body Positive has been forced to close after nearly 15 years and will cease operation on 31st May 2000. Despite continued support from particular funders such as Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster Health Authority, The Monument Trust and The Elton John AIDS Foundation, the balance of funding needed was not forthcoming resulting in BP trustees closing the doors forever.
Ironically, the closure of BP comes at a time when its services are more popular than ever. The ever-growing demand for services placed a heavy burden on BP's already tight budget.  Efforts to maintain the high-quality services on offer had forced the organisation into a deficit situation to the tune of approximately £120,000”

Lack of funding in Wales forces closure of Cardiff Body Positive:

In the Pink Paper a recently diagnosed HIV+ reader complained that services had greatly reduced since his diagnosis in October ‘99 and that Cardiff Body Positive is now facing closure through lack of funding. Confirmation came by email. Jackie Morgan wrote: “I am afraid it is quite true, Cardiff Body Positive is going into voluntary liquidation as we are not having funding from Bro Taff Health Authority or Social Services to keep us open”.

Positive Lives thanks the team at Staffordshire Buddies for its hard work and progressive approach in this ever demanding world of HIV where, unfortunately, more and more services are needed as the pandemic progresses in our area.