Alongside You
Supporting children & families living with HIV in East London
020 7473 5050
Got a Question? Here’s An Answer!
FAQs
If I make a donation, can I decide what my money is used for?
Unfortunately not but rest assured that all donations made will go towards improving the lives of the families we work alongside.
Is the service confidential?
Are the services free for families?
Yes, we cover the cost of all the activities we do with children and any travel and food costs on these outings.
Confidentiality is our priority and we have many things in place to help protect this. Volunteers accompany children from the family home to help make our services accessible, which can help those worried about going to a place associated with HIV.
How many people do you impact with your charitable work?
We have helped 609 individuals, 378 of which were children.
45 churches have partnered with us and we have trained 160 volunteers.
Where do the volunteers come from?
Our volunteers are from a diverse range of backgrounds, all ages and from a wide range of churches across East London. All go through a thorough application process, a training programme and complete an enhanced DBS. Ongoing training and supervision is provided.
Who can use the service?
Any family living in an East London Borough where there are children aged between 0-18 years living in the family home, and one or more of the family members are HIV+.
How do I refer a family?
Families can phone us themselves and we will arrange a time to come and meet you at your home to tell you about our services and help you sign up. A referral can be made on their behalf if you have their permission, we receive referrals from social workers, medical staff and other support agencies. You can call or email us to start a referral.
How long will I wait for services?
All our services are dependent on our volunteer team availability. Our outings and youth programmes are accessible straight away. Families may have to wait for a regular volunteer to be matched with their services, but children over 4 can take part in our holiday outings while waiting.
What proportion of the children are HIV+ themselves?
Antenatal testing and interventions in pregnancy and childbirth result in a less than 1% chance of passing HIV to children. Now only 9% of the children on our books are HIV+ themselves and most of these are teenagers.
If medication is improving why do families living with HIV need support?
Parents who have been living with HIV for a long time, or were diagnosed late, may have complex health needs and associated conditions that can impact on their energy, mobility and capacity to take their children out, financial resources available for activities, and may result in children missing school or taking a caring role in the families.
Do people still die of HIV?
Despite the improved medication and potentially normal life expectancy, there is no cure for HIV, and we have continued to see an average of 1-2 deaths a year as an organisation. 20% of our families have experienced bereavement of an immediate family member.
What time commitment do I have to make to volunteer?
We ask volunteers to commit for a minimum of a year. Outings volunteers have the option to sign up and help with any of the 4 outings organised each school holiday, one of which will always be on a Saturday. We encourage outings volunteers to aim to help with a minimum of 4 outings a year. To visit a family regularly we ask for a commitment to fortnightly visits initially.
Will I be out of pocket if I volunteer?
No, we don't want finances to prevent anyone from giving their time to volunteer. All outings activities and food is covered for the whole group. Volunteers can claim back out of pocket expenses for travel, food and activity costs with children. Some volunteers choose not to claim their expenses as part of their giving to the charity.