THE only charity in Barnsley which supports people living with or affected by HIV, hepatitis and other blood disease is at risk of closure despite winning two royal awards.
The council is currently holding a review into the £44,000 funding received by Plus Me Positive About Change which was set up in 2008 and is based at The Core on County Way.
It supports 300 people across Yorkshire, of which about 50 are in Barnsley. It offers screening, counselling, a drop-in and educational work.
Last week, Plus Me was awarded the Duke of York Community Initiative award, and project leader Karl Cooper was awarded the Henry Woods Outstanding Leadership award which were presented by Prince Andrew at Sheffield Cathedral.
Karl said: “It’s bittersweet. We set up in Barnsley ten years ago and we got these awards last week, but Barnsley Council is reviewing services and there is a good possibility the service will be decommissioned.
“We have gone from strength to strength, and support people living with HIV, hepatitis and other blood-borne diseases. We provide full screening and raise awareness to try and de-stigmatise HIV.
“We have come a long way in terms of treatments for people living with HIV but we have still got some obstacles to overcome when it comes to de-stigmatising HIV.
“People living with HIV feel that when they disclose this, they are marginalised and judged, and feel they can’t tell anyone because people react differently and not always favourably.”
Karl said the charity does not solely rely on council funding, and is able to match every £1 through fund-raising or grants. But he said the charity would ‘not survive for 24 hours’ if the funding plug was pulled.
“We don’t expect any special treatment, or to fund the whole service but we always hoped there would be a commitment to the work we do.
“Times do change and a lot of people will say HIV is a manageable condition and we have moved with the times. But we don’t want people thinking it can’t happen to them.
“It’s a sad day. We are a small organisation for individuals which is mostly run by volunteers. Ten years is an achievement, the awards are an achievement, but we want people to know there is a service like this. A lot of people don’t access services because they don’t want people to know.
“In these difficult times the council has got to make difficult decisions.
“We want people to know we’re around in Barnsley and we could do with their support.
“Barnsley has been our home for the last ten years. But if we lost the funding we would close within 24 hours in Barnsley.
“If we are decommissioned, we have served Barnsley proud and can walk away with our heads held high.”
Plus Me was decommissioned in Rotherham on March 31.
A council spokesperson said: “Barnsley Council can confirm that a current review of HIV prevention and support services is underway. The contract with Plus Me has been in place for a number of years and the review outcome will be based on the current needs of our population and taking into account other services available to support those individuals.”
