News: Adullam Homes sponsors HIV/AIDS awareness play

Adullam Homes

, the National Supported Housing Association whose head office is based in West Bromwich, is co-sponsoring a groundbreaking initiative that will see The Birmingham Library Theatre Company tour local Secondary Schools and Further Education Colleges in the region with a play about HIV/AIDS by award winning playwright Philip Osment.

The event is part of ‘The Birmingham Living Archive Project’ which is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and managed by Freshwinds and focuses on collecting the history of HIV/AIDS in Birmingham over the last three decades. This is being achieved through the recording of oral testimonies from those living with, and or affected by the virus living in Birmingham.

The play, ‘Who’s Breaking’ is both entertaining and informative, and aims to improve awareness and provide a better understanding of the issue among young people in the region.

The first performance of ‘Who’s Breaking’ was performed at the Central Library in August. It gave staff from the various agencies involved with the project to give their feedback before the play tours local secondary schools and colleges later in the year.

Steve Woods, Director of Business Development, at Adullam Homes presented a sponsors cheque £2,600 to the Birmingham Library Theatre Company.

According to Avert, an international AIDS charity, in 2008 there were over 7,000 new diagnoses of HIV, contributing to a cumulative total of 102,333 with 25,171 people being diagnosed with AIDS in the UK.

As Steve explained: ”Treatment of HIV and AIDS has come a long way since the early to mid-eighties. Science better understands the issues of and treatment regimes and support programmes are more sophisticated these day’s. That said, it is still vitally important that young people properly understand the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS.  Adullam is delighted to be able to join with other dedicated service providers in getting the message across in a way that we hope will resonate with young people today.”

Adullam is involved with the initiative through its Adcare Project based in Birmingham, which offers non-judgemental support services to those living with HIV/AIDS.  Adcare has a number of dedicated supported properties dispersed throughout the region.

‘Who’s Breaking’ will tour schools and colleges in the Birmingham and Walsall region starting in late November and December and coinciding with World AIDS Day on December 1st.

This article is reproduced courtesy of Community Care.