St Albans Cathedral and Abbey Church Mission Allocation Presentation

We were so pleased to attend the Abbey yesterday for the presentations, Good to see so many worthy causes, including The Crescent, receiving support from the Mission Allocation.

Especially pleased to have the support of the Congregational giving team, looking forward to working closely with the Cathedral team in preparation for World Aids Day which will also be our 25th Anniversary this year.

The Crescent Team

Spring Basket A Resounding Success Yesterday ! (despite Herts Aid not turning up – again)

Hi All,

The annual Spring Basket event held with the Diocese HIV Support Group was again a huge success, we filled Homewood Road Church Hall with household goods and clothes, then filled the hall with people living with or affected by HIV who made the most of what was on offer!

This year thanks to a few late comers we completely cleared the hall, everything went ! A huge thank you to Susan Roberts and everyone involved with the Diocese group who made the event such a success again this year.

It is a grave pity that the only tax payer funded HIV Charity, Herts Aid, chose again for the second year running, not to help out with the event. However we take this as further confirmation that Herts Aid consider events at evenings and weekends,particularly in West Herts to be not of interest to them, despite the fact that the majority of PLWHIV reside in the west.

Shame on you Herts Aid, you advertised the event on your website, inferring you were participating, as a charity supposedly delivering a county wide service it is a really poor show. You have enough staff and volunteers apparently, yet it appears none were free to help out? At least this year you didn’t try to take credit for the event, and the group, well not so far anyway….

Thankfully the Crescent is still here, otherwise the event would not have been the success it was, and we did it voluntarily! Herts Aid are paid to deliver services, and always seem keen to suggest they are working for those affected by HIV, yet an event that directly helps those living with HIV they avoid, for the second year in a row? Seems they have your money now…so are they interested in helping those PLWHIV, we think not.

Please help save the Crescent, it seems that we are the only organisation that still cares about PLWHIV in Hertfordshire, the other one seems more interested in the next press release or award ceremony, rather than actually doing something tangible to help those affected…

The Crescent Team

Quiz Night Approaches !

Hi all,

Link to the herts Advertiser article here;

http://www.hertsad.co.uk/news/quiz_night_set_to_boost_st_albans_hiv_centre_the_crescent_1_2169245

Hope to see some of you there, tickets selling fast be sure to call early for yours !

Thanks for your continued support,

The Crescent Team

Quiz Night 24th May – Article In the Herts Advertiser Today

Hi all,

Article talking about Eggheads and our forthcoming quiz which is being hosted and organised by our wonderful Patron CJ de Mooi the former Egghead star and all round good guy!

Please see here for the article;

Newspaper Article HA 250413

looking forward to seeing many of you on the night, more details of the quiz here;

The Crescent Quiz Night Poster 240513

Thank you for your continued support,

The Crescent Team

HIV Training Service Proving A Great Success !

Hi All,

Feedback from our training sessions today and last Friday shows that there is an ever present need for HIV educators to work with all sectors of the community to spread awareness, discuss the issue of stigma and encourage regular testing.

We had an excellent response from a training session at the University of East London last week, and our presentations to teams of Health Care professionals in Buckinghamshire last month, and again this week.

100% of attendees rated the courses delivered as excellent or good (at least 75% rated as excellent in all categories, such as meeting needs, relevance, content, and delivery)

Comments made during and after the events included;

“Excellent presentation, very informative” ”

“I thoroughly enjoyed the course which added more to my knowledge of HIV/AIDS”

“Really interesting, I’m going to have a talk with my children”

“Thank you for the training, you have opened my eyes and dispelled some myths – it was brilliant”

“An excellent contribution on living with HIV and even better to hear from the 50+ generation too”

“We had a great session demystifying HIV with members of Crescent Support Group. A truly wonderful time spent”

“Good session, cleared some HIV myths and perceptions. HIV is not a death sentence and your social status does not protect you from it”
“The Crescent is really dispelling the myths of HIV”

We look forward to delivering more of our training with those organisations that have already contacted us, and are very willing to assist anyone looking for similar training / education packages or PLWHIV as public speakers. All of our training is delivered by people living with, or affected by HIV.

For more information contact the Crescent on 01727 842532 email info@thecrescent.org.uk or twitter @CrescentSupport.

Looking forward now to our Quiz Night fundraiser on 24th May 2013, more details of this can be found below;

The Crescent Quiz Night Poster 240513

Thanks again for your continued support,

The Crescent Team

Radio Verulam today at 5.30

Hi All,

We will be appearing on Radio Verulam this afternoon at 5.30 ish, tune in if you are in the area, 92.6FM or online at radioverulam.com where you can listen again also.

The Crescent Team

Herts Aid Watford Closure – The Crescent lends a helping hand…

For all those affected by the, hopefully short term, closure of Herts Aid offices in Watford the Crescent is of course able to provide assistance should you need it as we will be open in Russell Avenue St Albans every day.

Anyone in need of help or advice, who wishes to do so locally, can visit our centre in St Albans, phone us on 01727842532 / 07904812500 or reach us on info@thecrescent.org.uk you will always be welcome, details of some of our events can be found on our website http://www.thecrescent.org.uk

Following reports in the local press concerning the number of people living with HIV in the area last week we would like to reiterate that it is our intention to remain open, despite funding cuts by Herts County Council who stopped all our funding in 2011.

We are only able to do so though with the support and generosity of the general public. It is our 25th year supporting those living with HIV (we were founded on the first World Aids Day in 1988) and we intend to remain doing so until such time as a cure is found.

If you can help us either by making a donation, or other way (such as volunteering)then please do visit our website, http://www.thecrescent.org.uk, or contact us on the details listed above.

The Crescent Team