Hello and Welcome
We're proud to share with you our newly published Annual Review for 2016-17.
HIV and Hepatitis C continue to affect some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, often driven by stigma surrounding what it means to live with these conditions.
Through the review we want to highlight a handful of examples of the innovative work that we're taking forward to tackle this inequality, and to introduce you to some of the people who make this possible.
You can read the full review here (we promise, it's short and snappy!) Otherwise, scroll down on for a sneaky peek...!
"When I was able to stand up and say, 'I've met these people and they have opened my eyes', people were willing to put their trust in that."
Meet Pastor Favour. She leads the congregation at an African church in Glasgow and has been working with our Health in Faith project.
Faith leaders like Pastor Favour are important members of the African community in Scotland and, through Health in Faith, we work with them to take conversations about HIV and sexual health to the heart of communities.
In the past year the project has worked with 70 churches across Scotland, delivered awareness sessions to over 1,000 people and hosted a national training day for faith leaders.
Health in Faith is just one example of how our work is contributing to reducing new HIV and Hepatitis C infections across Scotland. Find out more here...
"As a gay man living in Edinburgh, I can't say how proud I am to be part of a project that will build and empower our community to tackle the social and health inequalities we face."
Meet Chris. He was one of the first volunteers to get involved in SX, our community-based service for gay and bisexual men in Lothian.
SX, which launched in 2016, is about improving the physical, mental and sexual health and wellbeing of gay and bisexual men, and men who have sex with men.
Since launching, over 470 men have accessed testing at SX, with many going on to receive other support through the service.
Find out more about how our work is helping people to access testing for HIV and Hepatitis C here.
"We make sure the right support is in place to help people clear their Hepatitis C and move forward with their lives."
Meet Billy. He joined the team in 2016 to deliver our Prison Link pilot, supporting prisoners living with Hepatitis C to transition back into the community
An estimated one in five people in Scotland's prison population are thought to be living with Hepatitis C and the Scottish Government has made testing in prisons a priority.
Billy works with prisoners in HMP Barlinnie as they approach the end of their sentence, ensuring a support network is in place that allows them to stick to treatment, clear Hepatitis C and move forward with their lives.
This is just one example of how we develop innovative support services that meet specific needs of different groups living with HIV or Hepatitis C. Find out more here...
"I'd had bad experiences with GPs in the past and it’s always made me wary"
Meet Angie. She contributed her story of HIV stigma for our GP practice learning resource, Caring Conversations.
Using a mix of animated and interactive content, the resource encourages staff to think about how the conversations they have can affect patient experiences.
The resource uses real-life examples of people living with HIV to highlight and challenge stigma in healthcare settings, but is designed to be relevant for people living with any long-term health condition.
HIV stigma continues to be a significant issue in Scotland, and Caring Conversations is one example of how we are working to challenge it. Find out more here...
"We are very proud of our relationship with Waverley Care. They are great friends and we believe very strongly in the work that they do."
Meet Anthony (he's there, we promise!) Last year, he rounded up Fringe performers to race spacehoppers down Calton Hill... as you do!
He's the Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe's biggest venue, the Pleasance, with whom we've enjoyed a 25 year fundraising relationship.
Over the last quarter century, our unique and enduring relationship with the Pleasance has raised an amazing £465,000 to support our work.
Making camp at the Pleasance is just one highlight of our fundraising calendar. Find out more here...
In a nutshell...
Tremendous advances have been made in the treatment and prevention of HIV and Hepatitis C in recent years. So why does the need for our services remain as great as ever?
Put simply, HIV and Hepatitis C continue to affect some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, often driven by stigma surrounding what it means to live with these conditions.
Each of these projects, and many others besides, contribute to our aims to reduce new infections, get people diagnosed, provide support and challenge stigma.
This work would simply not be possible without the generous support of our donors, funders, partners, service users, volunteers and staff.
Thank you for your continued support from all the team at Waverley Care!
