Fast Track Bulletin - September 2023
Dear friends and colleagues,
There’s so much news that it’s hard to know where to start!
Fast Track Cymru has been awarded a Welsh Government Grant as part of the HIV Action Plan, which will enable us to employ three part-time workers to develop and support new Fast Track coalitions across Wales. We have already advertised the posts and appointed to them – more details shortly. Lisa Power MBE has already started as a short-term Development Manager on a six-month contract to help get the new Fast Track Cymru up and running.
Alongside our parent charity Pride Cymru, we have moved into new offices in central Cardiff; THT Cymru will also have an office and there are training rooms available.
This summer was a busy one for us with a Pride event almost every weekend. We distributed over 3,000 of our own leaflets in Welsh and English plus others on monkeypox, PrEP and testing from our partners, making numerous useful contacts and connections, from people with HIV to Health Board execs. We worked most of these events alongside Public Health Wales and would like to thank Zoe Cousins for her continual support. We would also like to thank Richard Churcher who volunteered at almost every event in South Wales, as well as Adam,
Alessandro, Dave, Jane, Olwen, and all our other volunteers – your enthusiasm and hard work is so appreciated! If you’d also like us at your local Pride or another festival, would like to help us out at events or just want some leaflets, please contact advocacy@hiv.wales
Fast Track Cardiff & Vale
Our original Fast Track flagship has welcomed new Steering Group members Dr Laura Cunningham, Rob Sandler of Cardiff Council Wellbeing Services and Richard Churcher. Rob has organised HIV info leaflet drops to every GP surgery in Cardiff and messages on the digital screens in GP waiting rooms. If you can do this in your area and would like a supply of free leaflets, let us know – we now have them in handy pocket sized versions in Welsh and English. Cardiff Council is also consulting people with HIV about what they’d like from a local support group – if that’s you, please fill in the questionnaire HERE.
Fast Track North Wales
This FT coalition, which covers the Betsi Cadwaladr area, is up and running in preparation for signing up formally to the Fast-Track Cities network and still recruiting members alongside attending Prides and spreading the word. They are especially keen to talk to people in local authorities but happy to hear from anyone in the area; you can email Patsy Hudson on fasttracknorthwales@hiv.wales
Fast Track Swansea
Fast Track Swansea is also well along the track to formal membership. They have agreed three key priorities and have representation from civic, health, and community groups. We hope their worker will be in post very soon but until then email fasttrackcities@hiv.wales if you are local and interested.
Apart from those nascent Fast Tracks, we have also held preliminary discussions with people in Newport and Cwm Taf. Please email fasttrackcities@hiv.wales if you want to be put in touch.
The HIV Action Plan working groups will start meeting again in September. A number of the 30 Actions contained in the Plan will require the involvement of local Health Boards, GPs and local authorities. We can support your engagement with these, including in ways that will not impact on your already extremely stretched budgets If you would like to discuss how Fast Track Cymru or one of our partners can help you in this, please email advocacy@hiv.wales and we’ll set up a chat.
We have handed over responsibility for HIV Testing Week to Public Health Wales and are working with them to ensure a smooth transition and community inclusion. The dates this year are November 20-26 and there is a landing page that will eventually hold all the assets for you to use at https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/wales-hiv-testing-week/
Over the coming year, we are looking to broaden our advocacy network. In the rest of 2023-24 we are focusing on providing training opportunities for people on how to be better advocates and how to talk to your communities about HIV – if this is something you’d be interested in, please get in touch.
Best wishes,
The Fast Track Cymru Team