Newsletter 10 July 2008

MRHF send out a regular weekly email bulletin on Thursdays, containing information for all our newsletter email group. For the convenience of our stakeholders and for those who might want to find out more about the Forum, we are also publishing that information to the BHA website. Feedback would be very welcome. If you have any information that you would like us to circulate in a future bulletin, please forward it to MRHF by Wednesday 12.00 pm the day before. Please ring us on 0161 872 4600 or email us at mrhf@btconnect.com if you have any queries.

Events/Meetings/Groups:

24 July 2008 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Manchester Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Centre
Free Entry!
The Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Centre are holding an open day as part of National Awareness month to raise the profile of both these disorders. This is an important event to help both the public and professionals to better understand the effects of Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia.

The event will include interactive information stalls, presentations, health checks, reflexology, a mystery celebrity guest and much, much more.

See the flyer and the invitation letter.

Please send back the reply slip or email neil.wall@cmmc.nhs.uk or verna.davis@cmmc.nhs.uk if you're planning to attend.

The next Manchester LINk meeting will focus on Adult Social Care.
Monday 14 July, 10:30 am -12:30 pm
Friends Meeting House, 6 Mount Street, Manchester, M2 5NS (in Room 1).
For catering purposes, if you would like to attend, please contact Anthony Doggett
Tel: 0161 214 3909 (Direct 3906), email: doggett@blackhealthagency.org.uk

Join the conversation on ‘Journeys’ learning through our own stories and experiences

18 July 2008 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
The Grange Community Centre, Pilgrim Drive, Manchester, M11 3TQ

A space for people from many cultural backgrounds to come together and explore
the barriers and assumptions we hold…

FREE EVENT
WITH FOOD FROM ROUND THE WORLD
For more details contact Mick Sheldon on 0161 4480788 or email mick@sheldon51.co.uk

Train to be an Advocate
Help yourself while helping others by providing clear treatment information

21 August 2008, 9:30 - 4:00pm
Zion Community Resource Centre,339 Stretford Road (Training Room 9), Hulme, Manchester, M15 4ZY
Issues covered will include:
The role of a treatment advocate
Doctor/ patient relationship
The history of HIV treatments and side effects
Writing HIV treatment issues in publications
HIV medications- the different classes, new classes of drugs and mechanism of action.
Access to treatment for Africans following diagnosis
Download programme
Application form

MRSN (Manchester Refugee Support Network) is working on a joint campaign of the Refugee Council and the TUC on the Right to Work for asylum seekers. They are looking for skilled asylum seekers and refugees who do/do not have the right to work and who are willing to talk about their experiences. Your identity can be kept anonymous. If you would be happy to be interviewed by other asylum seekers or refugees working on this campaign, then please contact Zoe at MRSN on 0161 232 7410 or at forum@mrsn.org.uk

Ethnic Minority Cancer Awareness Week (7 – 13 July) is a new initiative from a collaboration of leading charities to raise awareness of cancer amongst ethnic minority groups.

The Week was launched by Cancer Equality at their ‘Delivering Equality in Cancer Care-A Challenge for All’ conference in 2007. Following this a group of charities have come together to deliver a week of events to both raise cancer awareness and improve access to services amongst ethnic minorities. The work is funded by the Cancer Action Team.
For more information see the website: http://emcaw.co.uk/

Around 100 people a week in the UK have a limb amputated as a result of diabetes, a charity has claimed.

Diabetes UK highlighted the statistic to raise awareness of the "life-shattering" impact of the illness.

More...

Mental health fears over khat use

There are fears that the stimulant khat is contributing to mental health problems within the UK's east African communities.
BBC report

Communities secretary Hazel Blears has announced a £70m funding programme to strengthen community organisations and social enterprises.
More...

Manchester PCT has recently launched a public engagement programme called “Talking Health”. (See flyer) The idea is to start an ongoing conversation with patients, the public and staff around developing local priorities for the provision of health services.

There is a survey that can be accessed via this web link: www.talkinghealth.net and Manchester PCT wants to hear from all local black and ethnic minority residents!

You will be able to tell them about your:
Perceptions of current NHS services
Views on the key issues for improving health
Priorities and aspirations for health and health services in the future

There is also an automated telephone survey - 0808 2611 501 (free from a BT landline, it takes approximately 6/7 minutes to complete)

Please encourage as many BME people as possible to complete the survey – it is the BME community's chance to be heard! If you would like hard copies of the questionnaire, or more information, please do not hesitate to contact Anurita on 0161 958 4081.

Recruitment/volunteering:

GHT are looking to recruit one Adviser and one Finance Organiser - see the website for details.

fit4funding Website – Search for Funding
The www.fit4funding.org.uk website now has a funding search facility which uses GRANTnet from GRANTfinder. GRANTnet is a free to use funding search site provided by the market-leading grants database, GRANTfinder.

This site contains a comprehensive and up-to-date database of grants, loans and other initiatives operating in the UK. Currently it holds details on over 4,000 initiatives, including grants from the European Commission, UK Government, local government, and corporate sponsors and charitable trusts. The site content is updated on a regular basis.

GRANTnet is designed to provide a brief description of the information that is available about each fund.

Anyone can access GRANTnet. All you need to do is register your details and log in using the password which will be e-mailed to you. The information contained in the database is relevant to many different types of organisation and will be tailored to your chosen area of the country.

Can I only access GRANTnet through fit4funding? Yes. The aim of GRANTnet is to enable organisations such as community groups, voluntary organisations and social enterprises to undertake a search for funding that may apply to specific projects. Having identified the grants, it is then important to receive help and advice from people who are experienced in the grant application process. With this in mind, GRANTnet was developed to provide a link between the enquiring organisation and the GRANTnet access point (GAP). fit4funding assists enquirers through the Help & Advice on this website and by providing training on all aspects of the funding process locally.

Look in the Diary available from the Home Page of the fit4funding website for details of training events, or download the complete fit4funding Training Programme to view or print out.

Other search facilities - There are also links to other online funding search facilities for everyone to use.

Website: www.fit4funding.org.uk/misc/funding_search_grantnet/

Manchester Primary Care Trust has set up a membership scheme to provide you with an opportunity to find out on a regular basis what is happening in your local NHS and how you can get involved. Anyone living or working in Manchester can join and benefit from:
Regular updates about changes in the local NHS and plans for the future
Opportunities to give your views and help improve NHS services
Invitations to free events supported by the local NHS
Exclusive access to the NHS Discounts scheme
Membership is free of charge and members can cancel their registration at any time. Members' details are treated confidentially and not shared with third party organisations. If you are interested in joining please register your contact details via this link or email talkinghealth@manchester.nhs.uk or telephone 0161 945 3178.

More information at the website