Terrence Higgins Trust And Age Concern Wirral Invite Local People To Take Part In Focus Groups

Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Article Date: 18 Nov 2008 - 9:00 PDT

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Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) and Age Concern Wirral are inviting members of Wirral's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and people living with HIV aged 50 and over to come forward and take part in a new and exciting project called Hidden Voices.

THT and Age Concern Wirral are holding a series of focus groups to learn about people's experiences as an older member of the LGBT community, as well as the experiences of people living with HIV. The focus groups will allow both organisations to find out what sort of services people in the community need. Dates for the focus groups will be in the New Year but people are invited to register now.

Four separate confidential focus groups will take place for:

- gay and bisexual men
- lesbian and bisexual women
- transgender people
- people living with HIV

The information gathered at the focus groups will be used both to develop new services and to ensure the needs of these key groups are heard by local decision and policy makers in places such as Wirral Primary Care Trust and Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.

Ewan Jenkins, Regional Manager for Terrence Higgins Trust in the Wirral said "The needs of the people we are inviting to participate in Hidden Voices are often overlooked. Our experience at Terrence Higgins Trust shows that some older people living with HIV may not have made provision for later life. We're holding these focus groups because we want to hear what people need so we can plan quality services and influence others to do the same. If you're interested in the issues, please do come along.''

Jamie Anderson, Senior Manager for Support Services at Age Concern Wirral said "Lesbians and gay men were hidden in society for many years, and older lesbians and gay men are likely to have experienced significant discrimination throughout their lifetime as a result. Add this to the discrimination experienced by many older people and the result is a heavily marginalised group of people, who remain unheard and underserved by services. Hidden Voices is an opportunity to begin to change that."

All focus groups are completely confidential, will run in the early evening and out of pocket travel expenses will be reimbursed. To find out more about dates and times, or to register to take part in Hidden Voices, please contact Jamie Anderson on 0151 666 2220 or jamieanderson@ageconcernwirral.org

Notes

- Terrence Higgins Trust is the UK's leading HIV and sexual health charity with centres across England, Scotland and Wales. We're here to provide information and advice about HIV and sexual health and offer a range of services including sexual health checks, counselling and support groups. We campaign for a world where people with HIV live healthy lives, free from prejudice and discrimination and we promote good sexual health as a right and reality for all.

- Age Concern is a federation of independent and local organizations working with people aged 50+. As a completely autonomous organisation, Age Concern Wirral is responsible for its own policies and practices and for developing a tailored package of services and activities to meet the needs of local older people, helping to make later life a fulfilling and enjoyable experience. Age Concern Wirral is a registered charity, number 1034510.

Terrence Higgins Trust