Positive East - Re:Assure women’s project Guided by their mission – to improve the quality of life of individuals and communities affected by HIV – they have developed a holistic range of health and wellbeing programmes from counselling and workshops to HIV testing and prevention. Expand Summary Re:Assure women’s project remains London’s only tailored service for HIV positive women, who have experienced domestic abuse and are survivors of rape, and are all at an increased risk of poor mental health, co-morbidities, non-adherence to anti-retroviral medication and increased abuse. The project aims to support women towards living fuller, healthier and happier lives and to increase their overall wellbeing. This is achieved via an early-action approach that helps us address a participant’s needs, and prevents challenges from mounting up and becoming unmanageable in the long term. Re:Assure is managed by Positive East’s clinical psychologist Joanne McCarthy. Activities include: Individual clinical psychology Empowerment workshops Volunteer opportunities Advocacy work Over the next 12 months 100 women will be involved in our Re:Assure women’s project. Need for Re:Assure Women are still treated as homogenous when it comes to HIV support and care. We have found that services continue to provide untailored support that doesn’t take into consideration the complexities of living with HIV as a woman with past and ongoing trauma. Women living with HIV continue to face higher rates of domestic violence. The last major study on this found that HIV positive women have experienced domestic violence at rates nearly double those of HIV negative women, 52% and 27% respectively (BHIVA 2013; Office for National Statistics 2016). Lockdown has contributed to and accelerated IPV (intimate partner violence) – in May 2021 there was reported a 12% increase in the number of domestic abuse cases referred to victim support (UK Parliament Report, May 2021). Research reveals a direct correlation between past abuse and higher rates of poor mental health, loneliness, and lower adherence to antiretroviral medication (WHO “Violence against women”, 2016; UN Women “Prevalence and new infections”, 2016). This is compounded by the day-to-day realities of being a female asylum seeker; a group who continue to experience higher rates of ongoing violence. Generic support services remain inadequate when it comes to meeting specific needs of women living with HIV, including complex emotional and physical needs as a result of past and continued trauma. There remains a fundamental lack of understanding about how best to meet these complex needs and services remain untailored. Re:Assure also encourages the women to advocate for themselves and seek more in depth knowledge about their care, so that they are able to raise questions themselves. Without the continuation of Re:Assure, the complex needs of HIV positive refugees or asylum seekers and HIV positive women who are survivors of domestic abuse will not be adequately met. Covid continues to aggravate the already precarious situation for the women who routinely access Re:Assure. Women continue to report a larger deterioration in mental health as a result of the pandemic as well as increased levels of domestic abuse as highlighted above. Re:Assure is needed to help ensure that these women are given the support they need to overcome these additional barriers created by Covid. ‘It was like a breath of fresh air after all the worry and stress since diagnosis’. ‘Leaving my house, coming to the group and meeting all the women made me feel normal again’. ‘The group gave me the strength to change many things in my life’. Quotes from past Re:Assure attendees
Food for Thought from the FoodChain We aim to support the most vulnerable people living with HIV in London. The circumstances of the people we have helped through our grant to The FoodChain range from uncertain residency, food poverty and social isolation to living on incomes of less than £100 a week. Good nutrition is vital to the immune system, so the education and physical support from The Foodchain remains vital. Expand Nutrition for Body & Soul New referrals in 2021 524 individuals plus their 111 family members aged over 16 and 212 children under 16 = 847 People in receipt of food deliveries in 2021 (includes those already on service at the start of the calendar year, hence the greater number than referrals received) 732 individuals 155 adult dependents 299 under 16s 14 under 6 m 1200 Total beneficiaries At the start of the Covid19 crisis we identified the needs of our service users and began our emergency response service on 13 March as soon as it became evident that we serve a vulnerable group of people who are not able to leave home to do the shopping. Our adapted service is Continued dietary advice provided over the phone from our qualified dietitians to understand people’s situations and understand their dietary requirements.• Emergency grocery deliveries to people’s homes to ensure people have access to the right food based on their physical and cultural needs.•Providing additional household essentials such as toothpaste, soap and other basic essentials • one-to-one social support through weekly telephone calls for those with no social network and experiencing poor mental health and isolation. In the early part of the Covid19 crisis we saw a four-fold increase in referrals to our essential groceries service, the impact of which will continue to be felt in the next financial year. Of the people who received our tailored nutrition services in this year, 72% were living well below the poverty line with an income of less than £100 per week. 74% had no income 53% were men living alone – one third aged over 50. 47% of households with children (80) were single parent households, these are primarily women with Black African or Caribbean ethnicity. 40% endured both financial hardship and critical health 37% had a late HIV diagnosis (CD4<350) 30% did not have an undetectable viral load, which makes them susceptible to other infections. Overview of 2021 Throughout 2021 the ongoing effects of the pandemic has meant changes in our activities and models of service delivery. We experienced a greatly increased level of service for grocery deliveries with 3,172 deliveries equating to 199,836 meal equivalents. We continue to support more than twice the number of people than in 2019 before the pandemic began. Due to covid public health concerns our face-to-face meals through our Eating Together programme was provided at a reduced level. We were able to run a series of light lunches for smaller groups of people. There were 283 attendances at 37 sessions by 49 of some of our most socially isolated individuals. We have increasingly been aware of the impact that social isolation, loneliness and depression can have on people not just living with HIV but many of whom have multiple challenges within their daily lives (e.g. homelessness, insecure housing, no recourse to public funds, unemployment, housing evictions, food poverty, energy poverty and much more). In order to address and better manage this during the pandemic we created a category of complex needs where many of our service users were provided further support with an extension of the time limited grocery delivery service beyond our normal 3 grocery deliveries. Currently we are supporting 27 complex service users in this way. During the pandemic lockdowns our Kitchen Services Manager was redeployed to provide a potential weekly telephone call to our isolated service users – with 90 people receiving calls. In September 2021 we created a Volunteer Telephone Befriending Service with volunteers. Following training we currently we have 7 volunteers who ring one person once a week to provide a listening ear and support. Our Eating Positively programme comprising of 4 sessions of nutritional theory and practice (cookery classes) is also being enhanced with the recent filming of cookery sessions. This will enable us to provide the programme online with real time sessions with our specialist HIV dietitians interspersed with recorded cookery sessions. We will be able to provide an improved offer with hybrid sessions and real physical sessions. The ongoing impact of the pandemic has created delay in our move to our new kitchen and the development of our community café. We have undertaken the necessary refurbishment of kitchen and other areas and are ready to commence in 2022 once the public health situation allows it. We have also been able to further support 19 mums with HIV with new born babies and infants up to the age of one year, with formula milk. Case studies and testimonials “I cannot express how helpful you and the food chain have been for me during this very dark time. I am beginning to change my relationship with food. To take the time to prepare my meals although painful is very satisfying and even nurturing. And of course to have ingredients is amazing. I am already beginning to plan for next month.” “I would like to take the opportunity to give you and the team a massive thank you for rescuing my needs when it was at most critical. If you had not intervened, I don't believe I would still be alive today. I was drenched in suicidal thoughts days and nights and the Food Chain was incredible to help”. “The Food chain has done so much for me and I am ever so grateful your organisation was around. What would I have done without the weekly talks and kindness from you all and all the volunteers to help me move forward to a bad health spell and now I am manging it much better and healthier and feed myself nourishing non processed meals. It was the first HIV support service I accessed since 1994” Thank you for your support of The Food Chain
CliniQ Our latest grant we awarded to CliniQ will support their project which is part of their holistic wellbeing services. Expand Highlights CliniQ Peer Mentors have recently had professional in-depth Peer Mentoring training provided by Garry Brough from Positively UK, a leading HIV organisation. They will continue to engage with Garry Brough at Positively UK. This professional training will make sure their team have the most up to date skills regarding mentoring and supporting clients living with and at risk of acquiring HIV. The Peer Mentoring service will facilitate and monitor improvements in wellbeing for trans and non-binary people. The service will be delivered on-line and in-person. It aims to help empower trans and non-binary people in self-care and support. The Peer Mentoring aims to improve the health and wellbeing of trans and non-binary people who are looking for support with daily living, those who are awaiting counselling, those on the NHS gender care waiting list and trans and non-binary people who are living with HIV. We will advocate HIV prevention and HIV care within the service. The project will actively encourage trans and non-binary people who are black and people of colour to participate and l recognise and investigate the additional barriers they face. They aim to put the needs of mentees in the centre of our Peer Mentoring service. So they asked trans people in the community what they would most like from mentoring sessions. Several popular areas for support were; sleep hygiene and managing restlessness, organising finances, keeping active and exercise, hormone management, managing anxiety and depression, nutrition and healthy eating, coping with COVID-19 related stress, HIV and sexual health and intimate relationships, coping with isolation from others and maintaining online support networks, and being trans and transitioning in isolation. Expected Outcomes Using coping and other skills learned during 1-to-1 Peer Mentoring sessions mentees should see improvements in some of the following areas: reductions in anxiety and depression levels; increased self-confidence and self-esteem; coping with minority stress, the stress of daily life; improvements in relationships, social engagement, HIV and STI awareness and peer support; and solid understanding of HIV prevention such as PrEP and HIV care. Benefitting 75 to 85 mentees over a year. For the trans and non-binary communities, opportunities to connect with other trans and non-binary people resulting in an increase in social connection and friendship and reduced feelings of isolation which have been disproportionally affected and impacted by COVID isolation and living with HIV. 300 or more people.
The Courtyard Clinic, St George's Hospital We have been working with The Courtyard Clinic for many years and are so pleased to fund their massage service. Expand Between October 2019 and November 2021, there were 233 massage sessions received by 59 patients at the Courtyard Clinic. Out of 286 sessions offered, there were 53 occasions when patients did not attend on the day. Patient Feedback These are some of the comments patients made after their third session. "I felt very well in myself after my sessions" "It is excellent. I appreciate the service so much. Nick is superb." "One of the best services the Courtyard offers." One of our 60 year old patients has been coming to the Courtyard clinic since 2012. She presented with chronic pain in her lower back and leg and believed these "nerve pains" were caused by an aggressive biopsy carried out 10 years previously. She used a crutch to help her get around and also presented with signs of anxiety. I first saw this patient for a one off treatment and then for three further consecutive sessions. Her anxiety seemed to express itself in extended discussions about how she would receive the massage; whether lying on the couch, sitting upright in the chair, or leaning forward on the head support. She came across as feeling distrustful of the treatment and around a third of the time would be spent in these discussions. I listened to her concerns and acted on them appropriately with the aim of building trust, offering her a further series of sessions. Though progress was slow, after several sessions the patient experienced what she termed "a magical release". She said that all the pain had gone from her right arm. From then on, the patient became totally at ease within the sessions, there were no longer any discussions and she was able to relax and enjoy the therapy. Whilst the patient continued to complain of pain, the crutch she used had now gone; she was stronger, more mobile and able to enjoy life more. Nick Rathbone – Massage Therapist
Christine Ansell CEO Expand Christine Ansell Hello, I am delighted to have joined Wandsworth Oasis as CEO and looking forward to getting out and about to meet our Trustees, staff and volunteers. Without you, we would not be able to continue the outstanding work we do in raising funds to ultimately provide support to, and challenge the stigma towards, people living with HIV. With a background predominantly in the commercial world, with over 20+ years in diverse organisations from recruitment and start-ups to Global IT consultancy, I made the move to the Charity Sector in 2018, in an interim director role merging Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer. I wanted to use my skills in an environment where the end goal was to help others and make a difference to people’s lives, and that is exactly what drew me to Wandsworth Oasis.
Big Yellow Balham Big Yellow in Balham are great supporters of local community organisations. They provide us with 100sq foot of free storage space which is invaluable for us. If you have storage requirements, do ask for a quote from them. Expand We'd like to thank Big Yellow in Balham for their continued support. We have our archive located at the warehouse in Balham - can you imagine having to have 6 years of files in our office?! We also store our seasonal items there too. It is great to be able to have that extra storage space we so need. You guys are the best! 7 Weir Road, Balham, SW12 0LT or call 020 8675 4342
Iain Burnett Head of Retail Expand Iain Burnett I am thrilled about being part of the Wandsworth Oasis team. Our shops, staff and volunteers are at the centre of everything we do and raise much needed funds to support people living with HIV. Although it is a really challenging time in retail I am looking forward to the next chapter in the life of the shops as we continue to grow while keeping the values of Wandsworth Oasis at the heart of everything we do. Having worked in the charity retail sector for numerous years, I will bring all my experience to guide the shops team to deliver an excellent customer experience.
Mira Kostadinova Head of Finance and Support Services Expand Mira Kostadinova I joined Wandsworth Oasis in September 2017 as a Finance Manager, drawn by its family approach of care for the local community. Wandsworth Oasis is working towards bringing sustainable improvements to the lives of hundreds of vulnerable people in the local community and my role is to build and lead a motivated finance team, who would support our five-year strategiy. I aim to bring "home" my experience from the private business and international development sector.
Romeo Effs Chairman Expand Romeo Effs Romeo brings a wealth of knowledge and experience as a serial entrepreneur, C-Suite Executive, Board Strategy Advisor, Startup founder; Leadership Coach, NED, International Speaker and Hollywood Producer. Romeo's experience lends itself to a variety of both strategic and practical capabilities in both the private and public sectors globally - including Chairman of numerous companies and international charities, and a leadership advisor in both public and private sector enterprises. Romeo is strategic as well as practical, and his capabilities include large-scale organisational change projects, public/private collaborations, corporate governance, sustainability and organisation culture competencies, which he has developed at both the international industry and individual enterprise levels. Romeo is a published author and has very broad experience and publications in leadership, personal development, business growth, governance and performance improvement. Romeo is also a lecturer in the Business School at London South Bank University and enjoys research. He has a passion for social justice, and is an advocate of Inclusion in Business and an HIV activist. Romeo's passion for giving back and his drive to make an impact are the forces behind his decision to join the Wandsworth Oasis family. "I'm on a mission to make an impact in the world by influencing the next generation in various capacity and adding value to society. A narrative that promotes added value, growth and sustainability in society."
Leonie Cooper Trustee Expand Leonie Cooper Leonie Cooper AM was elected to the London Assembly in May 2016. Since then, she has lead for Labour on the Environment, including chairing the Assembly’s Environment Committee. Under her leadership, the Committee has produced reports with recommendations on how to reduce single-use plastic bottle waste in London, how to tackle Londoners’ fuel poverty, how London’s parks and open spaces can be maintained despite budget cuts, and on how to promote the circular economy. She produced her own report for the Assembly Housing Committee on biodiversity in new housing developments. Prior to her election in May 2016, Leonie worked in the field of environmental sustainability and campaigned on air quality - an issue she has continued to work on since being elected
Wandsworth Radio now Riverside Radio Our lovely media partners and fab local community radio station. We've worked together for several years now, having been co located for about 2 years. Expand We were delighted to be able to offer Wandsworth Radio which is now Riverside Radio space above one of our shops when they were setting up. They offer such an amazing opportunity to local people who are interested in a career in journalism and broadcasting plus what a great community resource. If you haven't listened in, you can do so by following this link. Made by local people for local people.
Alexandra Wyatt Community Engagement Manager Expand Alexandra Wyatt Having worked within the borough of Wandsworth for the past 8 years I have always been aware of Wandsworth Oasis and the fantastic work they do. It is a pleasure to come on board to help promote this wonderful company whilst also raising awareness of the great work they do within the community.
One Stop Organisers - Clearing Clutter for Wandsworth Oasis Ashley Jordan was clutter clearing for about 10 years before she met Wandsworth Oasis. Our professional partnership has made a massive difference to the efficiency of what she can offer her clients and to the quality of our donations - which makes everyone happy. Expand One Stop Organisers Clutter Clearing – in Partnership with Wandsworth Oasis I was clutter clearing for about 10 years before I was introduced to Wandsworth Oasis. Their professional organisation has made a massive difference to the efficiency of what I can offer my clients, which makes everyone happy. There are three main ways in which they help more than any other charity that I have used for donations: They have a fantastic and well organised collection service, who come on a day when they say they will, at a time that they say they will, and often at short notice. This is in stark contrast to other charity shops which are unable to man their collection services in such a way, meaning that clients have to stay in all day or, even worse, stay in and the collection never happens. They are happy to accept a large amount in one go. Have you ever been to a charity shop with your car full and they have refused your donation? It’s very frustrating. They will take some things others won’t – check with them before you bring a lot of stuff, but they will sell things through the right medium to get money for the charity, and if that is ebay or a car boot sale they will do that, which means they will take some weird and wonderful items. The brilliant thing is that they also host community events so, as a supporter, you can get to know them and understand more about what they do and where the money goes. I donate on behalf of clients on a regular basis, and if my client is a UK tax payer I make sure that they have completed gift aid forms, so that the charity can benefit from the extra money. There are five main circumstances where I help clients ‘clear the clutter’, or stream-line as many prefer to term it; after all, these possessions are well-loved and therefore can be difficult to part with. And clutter clearing as a term can, I think, seem disrespectful: Households amalgamating – couples moving in together, with or without their children Seniors downsizing or moving into care Families or individuals moving abroad or travelling Nearest and dearest clearing after a bereavement Having building work done and disposing of items before putting into storage Most people just don’t know where to start, or how to start, but once we get going it can be a very cathartic process. My support might just be physical, but often it is also about strategy and emotional support too. Having a friend come to help you might speed up the process considerably if you are lucky, but clients do get distracted! Having a professional in to help means that things are done in a methodical way and therefore more than 100% quicker. Items are taken away at the end of each session either to Wandsworth Oasis or, if rubbish, to the tip, which means clients can see results more quickly. We’ve brought things back to London from Somerset, Dorset and Essex, but we couldn’t from Glasgow – the allowance on the plane wasn’t large enough! As well as clutter clearing we project manage other household projects including all of the admin and liaison for house moves and building projects. For more information visit Ashley's Website.
Richard Aldridge Trustee Expand Richard Aldridge "I was once a classically trained Chef, became a Trustee in 2011 but had worked as a volunteer for Wandsworth Oasis for many years before. Having been diagnosed for 30yrs, I can really sees the difference that Oasis achieves."
Bruce Black Trustee Expand Bruce Black "I have working on print and digital publishing for far longer than I care to remember. Currently I work with Google's platforms, ensuring that organisations such as Wandsworth Oasis appear prominently on the search pages. Challenging but good fun. "I joined the board of trustees in 2017 and bring a set of communication skills that I hope helps Wandsworth Oasis get its message out to the widest possible public. I think that we are getting there..."
Steve Pinto Trustee Expand Steve Pinto "Having worked within the Wandsworth Chamber of Commerce for the past 15 years on a voluntary basis, I have now taken on the role as CEO and help to move our Chamber to new levels of professionalism, offering an unrivalled local network of contacts and business advice and support to local businesses. "My aim as a Trustee of Wandsworth Oasis is to help the charity to grow by enabling connections with more businesses in Wandsworth borough and promoting an active and integrated partnership approach."
Jason Rosam Trustee Expand Jason Rosam "I'm a radio presenter and journalist currently working for BBC Radio London. If that wasnt enough, I'm also the founder and director of local community radio station Wandsworth Radio which supports hundreds of volunteers to produce local news and entertainment programmes highlighting the work and people of the borough. "I became a trustee when Wandsworth Oasis gave the radio station a home above one of the charity shops in Battersea Park Road."
Chris Woolls Trustee Expand Chris Woolls I’ve worked in prevention and now support for older people with HIV for about 20 years now – so when Oasis asked if I fancied joining the Board to add HIV knowledge I jumped at the idea. I love the fact that they raise so much money, work with so many volunteers, and are so grounded in the community. Pretty inspirational stuff!
The Two Brewers We love these guys - fundraisers extraordinaire and huge supporters of our charity. Expand We are proud to have worked with the Two Brewers for about 5 years, particularly around World AIDS Day when they hold a massive fundraiser for us - great fun and a lot of money is raised. This year we also joined together with them at Pride which was an amazing day.
Samuel Estates - our local independent estate agent We are delighted to work in partnership with local independent estate agent, Samuel Estates. They support us on many levels - house and flat clearances and sponsorship of our fundraising events. They are currently donating 10% of any fees they earn on property sales or lettings from people introduced by Wandsworth Oasis. Find out more... Expand Samuel Estates is a local independent estate agency serving South West London. They have offices in Balham, Colliers Wood and Streatham. They are very community focussed and we are proud to be one of their chosen charities. Are you selling your property or do you have a property to let in South London? Mention Oasis when you contact Samuel Estates and if they successfully sell or rent your property they will donate 10% of their fee to Wandsworth Oasis. Tell your friends...
Damian John Retail Operations Manager Expand Damian John I joined Wandsworth Oasis midway through 2021 as Retail Operations Manager to support the SMT with our retail strategy. Wandsworth Oasis shops are so much more than retail space, we have great supporters and work with some incredible partners across London. So you never know what charity shop finds, fundraising events or awareness initiatives might be happening. Having worked in the charity retail sector for nearly 20 years I am delighted to be sharing my experience and knowledge with our shops staff and amazing volunteers. Our team take pride in the significant social and environmental impact we have in our communities. Ultimately funding HIV support, awareness and prevention projects.
I & A Fashions We are pleased to have recently partnered up with I & A Fashions in Tooting who are kindly donating their end of line stock to our charity shops. A great sustainable relationship keeping items out of landfill. Expand I & A Fashions is a clothing retail unit in the heart of Tooting Broadway. They specialise in the following retail brands listed below. They are currently undergoing work on their new website and will have lots of lovely new stock in very soon. Boujique Boujique Kids Swaddle & Stork - nursery products I & A school uniform We are very grateful as they have kindly donated their end of line stock to our charity shops. Items include men and women's clothing, kid's clothes and kid's equipment such as prams. This is a great sustainable alternative to items being disposed of and ending up in landfill. This way our charity shops get some lovely new stock and we are helping I & A Fashions move on these items in an ethical and sustainable fashion. We are really pleased to be working with a lovely local company.
Minerva Tutors We are delighted to have recently became Minerva Tutors chosen charity partner, helping raise awareness of who we are and what we do. Expand Award winning company Minerva Tutors have recently asked us to be their official charity partner and we couldn't be more chuffed! Thanks for the support! In return we would like to help support them by spreading the word on the good work they do. If you are a parent, teacher, carer or guardian and are looking for that extra tutorial support then look no further than Minerva Tutors. A good education means everything. As a tutoring company, their philosophy has always been to take on fewer tutors who are passionate about motivating and inspiring confidence in their pupils, to develop tutors’ skills through professional training programs and provide parents with detailed lesson reports through their cutting edge parent portal. They are based in London, though their tutors are currently at work all over the globe. They are delighted to have recently been named 2019’s Best Tutoring Company by SME News. They are very proud of their achievements so far, but this is just the start. Their long-term vision is to make tuition accessible to parents of all backgrounds, to work more closely with schools, and to see a world where every child succeeds.