A quick reminder that the next meeting is on Monday 4th February at 7pm in the Union Lounge (2nd floor of Student Union).

Week of Action week starting Monday 4th February

This week will be focussed on campaigning and ensuring our MPs and government keep to their promise of global access to HIV medication by 2010. So we have decided to have stalls with ‘Action Cards’ for people to fill in, which are going to be presented to the Prime Minister in a meeting scheduled for 21st February! The more cards filled out the better, so get all your friends and anyone you know to fill them out! Cakes will also be sold on the stalls to attract attention to the campaign and to maximise our chances! Action Cards can be collected at the next meeting and also from the Stop AIDS pigeon hole box in the Student Union.

• Stalls at Student Union: Tuesday and Thursday lunchtimes this week (11-2pm).
• Stalls at Medical School: Thursday this week (11-2pm).

If anyone wants to man the stalls or bake some cakes let us know at the meeting or send us an email.

We are also thinking of having a stall at Monument on Saturday 9th February, so if anyone is free during the day, let us know! Catline and Caroline are finding out about a possible liaison with the crew from RAG week, which also begins on Monday!

Campaigning

This will be of uttermost importance this term. Andy, Jamie, Caroline, Caitlin, Shalini, Jenny and Jo all expressed interest in meeting with local MPs. If anyone lives in or has a contact in South Shields, we can go straight to the top and give Milliband a grilling!

We also discussed the idea of weekly stalls, to publicise the different aspects of the campaign.

Schools Project

David and Cat are holding a meeting, provisionally on Wednesday 13th February in the Student Union. This is to provide training to anyone who would like to get involved in the Schools project. This is a successful initiative started by Alison last year, and involves sending groups of volunteers to local secondary schools to raise HIV/AIDs awareness in the form of workshops and fun interactive group discussions. This is a fantastic opportunity not to be missed! You will not only contribute to changing the attitudes of the future generation but will also help reduce the stigma, which has forever been one of the most challenging barriers to overcome in HIV/AIDS prevention. It is also a great opportunity to learn new skills and meet new people, the rewards are endless, so I encourage you to give it a go. More details of this on Monday…

Training Weekend

The Stop AIDS Society is holding a training weekend, provisionally around the 16th February somewhere near Sheffield. Details are to be confirmed at a later date. However, this in an invaluable experience, especially if your a interested in becoming a National Representative for Stop AIDS Newcastle. The purpose of this training weekend is to learn a great deal about the aims of the campaign, meet some influential people and to unit and learn from other Stop AIDS societies around the country. We would love to send some representatives, and will sort out travel costs, so get in touch!

Future Events

Training: Due to the great sucess of the last training day, Alison raised the possibility of another training day. There are several new topics that the Stop AIDS team could cover.

Posh dinner party: Possibly to take place at the bar As You Like It later in the year.

Poetry/music gig: Another fundraising event in the pipeline, organised with NUTS.

Stop AIDS Triathlon: Harriet will take about this in the next meeting.

Hope to see you all at the next meeting!

Mel (Stop AIDS Secretary)

A great thanks to all of you that came to the meeting, it would not be possible without you all! Stop AIDS Week is approaching fast and is going to be amazing for all those involved!

The Stop AIDS training evening (Monday)

Next Monday we have a Stop AIDS training evening where a trainer will be coming to give advice about HIV/AIDS issues, campaigning, fundraising, and generally to give us a better understanding of how we can make a difference! This will be held on Mon in the Function Suite at the Union (left at reception, up the stairs and door on right) at 7.30pm!

Stalls group (Monday — Friday next week)

The completed timetable for the people who are manning and baking for the stalls is on the World AIDS Day 2007 page.

A list of what we should have on each stall:

• Elephunk Raveyard tickets
• Balloon Race tickets
• Posters/Flyers for the Club Night and the Balloon Race
• Campaigns cards
• Collection Boxes
• Red Ribbons
• Cakes
• Shag Bags?

We are also going to sell cakes to 4th year medics in their seminar groups, contact Alison for their timetable.

Publicity (Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th)

Start distributing flyers from Monday next week at Castle Leazes, Marris House, Richardson Road, outside the Union and wherever you think necessary.

Anyone can help with distributing the flyers, the more people we have the better! You can collect flyers from the Union. If you go to the 1st floor, take a right, walk to the end of the corridor and you will find them in the Stop AIDS folder in the pigeon hole marked ‘S’.

Shout outs in lectures starting a couple of days before WHQ Night. Inform people of World AIDS day, WHQ Club Night, drink promotions, live bands including the date, time, ticket price/places of purchase. Make it sound exciting as we want as many people as possible to come along!

We are looking for people to do flyer this Saturday night outside WHQ, any volunteers? Contact Alison.

WHQ Night (Wednesday 28th)

Everyone has been given tickets to sell to their friends (£3 each) this week and if there are any remaining tickets (preferably not) could you bring to the training evening on Monday or take them to the stalls.

We have decided that the condom fairies purchase their own set of wings and please buy ‘white’ ones. They only cost a few pounds from Magic Box. The rest of the costume is being decided by Claire, please email ku.ca.lcn@dleifohcs.erialc.leahcar.

The condom fairies/kings will be given collection tins, condoms and red ribbons on Wednesday at 7.30pm in the Union (first stop of bar crawl).

The people who have volunteered to help Alison with the set up of WHQ night are Andy C, Emma, Harriet, Amy and Steve. Please meet Alison at 10pm at WHQ!

Balloon Race (Friday 30th at 1pm)

We will be selling balloon tickets on all of the stalls and we need to encourage people to buy the tickets by telling them when and where they can get them from. They can get them from the Union or Medical School stalls between 11-2pm.

The people who have volunteered to help out on the day of the balloon race are Freyja, Sarah, Claire, Andy, Steve and Andy C, it would be good to arrive an hour or so before the Balloon Race to get things organised.

The cash prize is £30 and the balloon that has travelled the greatest distance will be the winner.

Any expenses you have as result of organising World AIDS Week or WHQ then please keep receipts and give them to Tony or put the receipts in an envelope and leave in the Stop AIDS folder in the Union.

Also can those of you that have collected Stop AIDS hoodies please bring the money on Monday night or as soon as you can.

Best of luck everyone and let’s get the ball rolling!

Love
The Committee
xxx

I know a few of you didn’t make the last meeting, which is okay, but if you want to be involved in World AIDS Week it is essential that you come to the next meeting as this is the last meeting before we start all the events running up to World AIDS Day! It’s never to late to get involved, just rock on up to the next meeting and make it happen! Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to make a difference!

The next meeting: Monday (19th) at 7pm in the Union Lounge (2nd floor of Student Union).

Publicity group

We have decided to hand out Stop AIDS campaign leaflets in lectures as we need as many people as possible to fill out the leaflets to ensure the Prime Minister and MPs keep to their promise of universal access to HIV treatment by 2010. The campaign leaflets will be handed out in the next meeting.

Just a reminder to all the people who were given posters to start putting them up now (apologies if you have already done it!).

Tickets and posters will be handed out at the next meeting. We are selling them in Trent House, Union and the Porters Lodge (Med School). Hannah will be putting the posters up in Trent House.

Tony is going to dealing with the column in the Courier and will be try to get us in the ‘Society of the Week’ feature if possible, if any wants to help him out contact ku.ca.lcn@retxab.ynohtna.

Please let us know how you are getting on with freebies from companies as we are still in need of prizes. If any one has had any success please email the Stop AIDS Society at ku.ca.lcn@sdiapots.eltsacwen.

We have decided to distribute red ribbons and collect donations from next week to promote awareness and show support of the cause. The ribbons will handed out next week and we will need people to distribute them.

Anyone going to MEDSOC this Friday? We need fundraisers!

We will be making an announcement for the WHQ Club Night, handing out flyers and carrying collection tins this Friday at MEDSOC. So far we have four people helping out, and desperately need another six people. It will only take up a couple of hours of your time and if you want to get involved email: ku.ca.lcn@izos.k.m.

Stalls group

Stalls will be taking place on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday between 11am-2pm. If anyone wants to help out on stalls or bake cakes then let us know! The more people that get involved with this the better! We have thought of contacting MEDSIN to help out on stalls, does anyone have any contacts?

Balloon Race

We have decided on a £30 cash prize and runner up prize of possibly Newcastle Falcon tickets. We have agreed that everyone gets a certain number of tickets to sell to friends at £2 each. The tickets will be handed out in the next meeting.

Tony has kindly designed the poster and flyers for the balloon race, which will be completed for next week.

Film night

This will take place on Monday (26th) and we are looking into getting a doctor from London who is involved with promoting AIDS awareness and prevention to be a speaker on the night.

WHQ Club Night group

Claire will be sorting out the condom fairy outfits and design so that everyone is coordinating and leading the bar crawl in style! Kerry and others are buying glow sticks and sweets to sell on the stalls during the night. We need people to man the stalls.

Aims of the next meeting

• Timetable for the week’s activities and stalls
• Collection of posters, tickets and flyers
• People to help out with the set up of WHQ Club Night
• Bands and permission for props etc. — Andrew
• Bring cheques/cash for Stop AIDS hoodies — £18 each
• Collect campaign leaflets
• Last minute organisation for WHQ bar crawl (outfit designs etc.)

As I said earlier if you want to get involved or if you are already involved, it is crucial that you attend the next meeting as this will be the last before World AIDS Week!

Looking forward to seeing you guys at the next meeting!
Mel (Social Secretary) xxx

World AIDS Week is approaching fast and some great work is going on the burrows of the Stop AIDS Society! Here are the minutes from Monday’s meeting… (just a note to say it’s never too late to get involved so don’t be a stranger, come along and join in with whatever takes your fancy).

Club Night Group

• The bar crawl has been finalised and people have volunteered to dress up as condom fairies and kings and lead the bar crawl/collect money on route.
• Publicity will start next Monday and tickets will be ready in a week or so. Everyone has posters and are ready for some hardcore flyering.
• Kerry is looking into the wristband/ticket situation and the cost.
• Everyone in the society has agreed to try and sell as many tickets as they can to their mates.
• Bands have been finalised: 16.20; Soap Impressions and Boss Riley.

Publicity Group

Work is progressing on the posters. Posters are being developed on the following:

• Elephunk Raveyard WHQ — Posters and Flyers are ready and due to be distributed from next Monday onwards. Thanks to Andy, they look wicked!
• Balloon Race — Posters for the stall. We are currently waiting on prizes for the race so we can advertise them on the poster. We are thinking maybe a top prize of £30 to entice people?
• World AIDS Week low-down flyers — complete with events going on in the week and some stats and info about HIV.

• Tony, Caitlin and Steve are looking into getting companies to donate prizes for the balloon race and maybe for a raffle.
• Tony has volunteered to write a feature article on World AIDS Week for the Courier.
• Maybe will try and get an Elephunk Raveyard poster into the courier too?
• Need to try and get permission to have bands playing outside the union to promote Elephunk Raveyard.
• Working on making a promotional video to show in lectures.

Balloon Race Group

• Working on getting permission for the race
• The idea is to release 200 balloons on Friday 30th November.
• Work is progressing on having dancers, music and actors outside the Union in the build up to the balloon race and to attract attention.

Stalls Group

• Permission has been given for a stall everyday outside the union.
• Planning to have a stall in the medical school a couple of days that week.
• Working on permission to have a stall in the Robinson.
• On the stall planning to have the Shag Bags which the Union have agreed to put some of our promotional material in.
• Planning on having campaigns material on the stall.

Film Night

• Looking to show a topical film in the Global Café on the Monday night to kick off World AIDS week.
• Maybe will sell popcorn and sweets etc.

BMOre

I have left information leaflets in the stop aids folder in the activities office in the Union. If you are interested please help yourselves. Only Harriet was interested in being the representative but she is not sure she can make it to London on the 24th November for the meeting so if anyone else fancies sharing the role with her and can get themselves to London please drop us a line.

Education — Aids Aware

The schools project will be up and running in the new year and David and Cat are currently working on setting up links with the schools and getting dates for our workshops. Watch this space for more info…

I think that’s the general gist and sorry if I’ve missed anything important out (I didn’t write anything down at the time!).

I’m very excited about all these exciting developments and thank you all for your hard work.

Next meeting is on Monday (time and venue to be confirmed by Mel tomorrow). We will be continuing our planning and will be focussing more on how we can raise awareness surrounding HIV and AIDS and what it actually is. Also looking to promote the Access to treatment campaign more.

See you then!
Love The Committee xxx

(P.S. if for some reason you can’t make the meetings but would like to be involved in events we are always looking for extra man power for manning a stall, baking, street collecting, flogging stuff inside WHQ, collecting signatures, etc., so if any of the above intrigues you or you reckon your the person for the job just send us an email!).

Thanks for all your great ideas and now let’s implement them! The next meeting is on Monday 5th November at 7pm in the New MLK room (top floor of the Union next to Global). Don’t worry if you missed the last meeting, just get involved and help out with all the current ideas!

WHQ Club night (Wed 28th Nov) & World AIDS Day (Sat 1st Dec)

Publicity group

• Make Information leaflets — Mel and others
• Permission for Balloon Race, bands outside Union, break dancers — Andrew
• Need people to handout Flyers (Union, Med school, Castle Leazes cow field)
• Posters and tickets for Balloon Race — Sarah
• World AIDS Day poster — Tony and others
• Tickets for WHQ club night — Tony and others
• Need ideas for publicity stunt on Friday 30th Nov — email ku.ca.lcn@retxab.ynohtna if you have any suggestions
• Department shout outs and emails — Law (Imogen); Languages (Tony); Biology (Aimee & Emma); Business (Andrew); English (Caroline); Maths (Steve); Medicine (Mel)
• Film night on Monday — need to find out if we can have it in Global
• Need people to carry collection tins and hand out condoms in Solution on Friday 28th Nov
• Condom fairies for WHQ club night — Emily and Katie
• Column in The Courier
• Need to get freebies from companies/businesses — prizes for Balloon Race and WHQ Club night

We need people to hand out flyers on the weekend before World AIDS Day (23–25 Nov). Everyone in the publicity group should be aware of what they are doing, but if you have any queries or ideas then email ku.ca.lcn@retxab.ynohtna or ku.ca.lcn@izos.k.m.

• WHQ Club night: Everyone in the society will be given 5 tickets to sell to their friends. The selected bars are as follows:
  • Student Union
  • Bar Beyond/Players
  • Mushroom Bar
  • Basement
  • WHQ
• Dress code — whatever you want as long as something is red!

Preliminary Timetable for the week 26-30 November

• Flyers and tickets for WHQ — 26th, 27th & 29th Nov (Mon, Tues, Wed)
• Stalls (cakes, tickets, ribbons) — everyday (Mon-Fri) — 12-2pm
• Film night (Global) — 26th (Mon)
• Music Bands and break dancers — 28th (Wed)
• Balloon Race — 30th (Fri) — 1pm
• Publicity stunt — 30th (Fri)
• Collection tins at Solution — 30th (Fri)

Aims for the next meeting

• Coordinate posters and flyers
• Facebook group
• Billboard with balloon next to stalls
• Contents of Goodie bags
• Publicity stunt
• Layout of stalls and permission
• Finalised timetable of events

Sorry for the long post but we have a lot to get cracking with! See you all at the next meeting!

Mel (Stop Aids Secretary) xxx

I’m really sorry for the late email. The next meeting on this Monday (29th) at 7pm in the Union Lounge (2nd floor of Student Union).

In the last meeting we formed groups and discussed promotion, fundraising and other ideas for WHQ club night and World AIDS Day! New ideas are always welcome.

WHQ club night (28th Nov)

We have decided to promote the night 2 weeks in advance.

Promotion

• Posters (Medical School, Union, Halls of Residence and other academic departments)
• Hand out flyers
• Shout outs in Lectures (we need to cover as many departments as possible)
• Column in student newspaper
• Organise Facebook group
• Sell tickets and give out wrist bands

Ideas for the night and fundraising

• Need people to man stalls selling glow sticks, hoodies, whistles
• Condom fairies to give out free condoms — if anyone wants to do this please let us know
• People to carry collection tins
• Red theme
• Entry before 11.30pm gets free vodka jelly
• Organise bar crawl
• Promotion on drinks
• Music bands for the night

World AIDS Day (1st Dec)

Events will be carried out during the week before World AIDS Day.

Promotion

• Column in university newspaper
• Posters
• Department emails
• Separate posters for the balloon race
• Shout outs in lectures
• Posters in schools
• Announcement on Metro Radio and possible interview
• Flyers with free DVD

Fundraising

• Cake stalls — any good bakers out there, we need you!
• Film night including popcorn and soft drinks
• Games including guess the number of condoms in a container

We also need people to speak to organisations and businesses to see what freebies they will offer that we can use these as prizes. Hopefully, everyone knows what they are doing and have a scheduled timetable. Don’t worry if you don’t, just get involved with any of the things discussed above or add new ideas.

Please let us know if you would like to buy a t-shirt (£8) or hoody (£18).

See you all at the next meeting.

Mel (Stop AIDS Secretary) xxx

The time of the next meeting has been brought forward due to the ‘Last Man Standing’ bar crawl. Details of next meeting: Monday 22nd October at 6.30pm in the Union Lounge (2nd floor of Student Union). However, you can bring drinks to the meeting if you are starting the bar crawl early, alternatively you can start the bar crawl from the union after the meeting.

Aims of the meeting:

• Run up to World AIDS Day
• Organising the WHQ social

Hope to see you all there!

Love
The Committee xxx

It’s all kicking off at 7:30pm at the Hyena Café which is just off Percy Street. Click for a map.

It’s free to attend so bring your mates along too hear humbling stories from some truly inspirational people. More information about the tour and the speakers themselves can be found on the Stop AIDS Societies website.

Hopefully we’ll all see you tomorrow night!

1. WHQ Club Night

   Exciting news is that I have managed to get a date for our World Aids Day Club Night at WHQ! It is going to be on the 28th November.

   There is not very long to arrange things so we need to get moving fast. We need to organise bands to play, publicity and a name for the night. So if anyone is interested in helping out I am arranging a meeting for this Wednesday afternoon (17th) (after the Stand Up Speak Out Against Poverty event). If we meet at the reception in the Union at 4pm, it shouldn’t take more than about half an hour. Email me if you are coming so I know who to expect.

   If anyone knows any bands or any other suitable entertainment (like break dancers) please get in touch too.

2. Flyering for the Speaker Tour

   We have teamed up with the Stand Up Speak Out team who will be selling t-shirts for the event outside the Union on Tuesday about 12.30pm. They have agreed to let us put some flyers and posters on their stall and if people are still up for flyering at the same time that would be great. Just meet outside the stall.

   If anyone fancies doing it on Monday too outside the union that would also be amazing.

Ok, so it wasn’t that short but it was pretty sweet, I’m sure you’ll agree!

Love
The Committee x

Hi Guys

Not doing anything on that lazy Wednesday afternoon? Then come along to this!

It will only take up an hour of your life and it really will make a difference! Imagine if the whole university turned up one day wearing the same colour. Imagine if, just by wearing that one colour, every single student was making a difference.

This is reality…

WEAR WHITE THIS WEDNESDAY

Live 8 is over, the G8 long forgotten, white wrist bands are no longer cool… but poverty still lives on. This Wednesday (17th October) we as a university are going to stand up and speak out against poverty and inequality.

1pm outside the Student Union

Help us break the world record by turning up to this globally supported event. At 1pm come and show your support for the Millennium Development Goals outside the Union (there will also be a speech by Dr. David Golding). Then join us in walking down to the Quayside where we will form a white band across the Millennium Bridge in our effort to Make Poverty History. We know that you care. This is your chance to show it.

Facebook this event.

T-shirts:

• £3 plus free entry to Oxjam at WHQ
• Outside the Union on Tuesday

After events:

• BBQ outside Union
• Black Gold at Northumbria
• Insights lecture: Slavery in Nigeria (5:30pm Curtis Auditorium, Herschel Building)
• Oxjam at WHQ

Goal 6 is directly related to Stop AIDS in that it aims to:

• Halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS;
• Halt and begin to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases;

by the year 2015.

Go to the UN website for more information.

See you there x