Health and Social Care 2007

Improving the quality of peoples lives

Sponsored by Age Concern

Winner

Alison Baum

Best Beginnings

Alison formed Best Beginnings, a campaign working to break-down the inequalities that exist within the area of infant feeding. Alison argues that there are strong health benefits associated with breast feeding both for mother and child. Best Beginnings is also the founder member of the Breastfeeding Manifesto Coalition, consisting of thirty organisations. In the short time Alison has been campaigning, she has recruited cross-party champions to help her promote her breastfeeding manifesto.
www.bestbeginnings.info/

Finalists

Lee Eggleston

South-Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre

Lee works at the South-East Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre and is Secretary of the National Rape Crisis Network. Her campaign seeks to improve services for women who have experienced rape or sexual abuse. Lee believes there is currently a postcode lottery for support for women who have been affected by sexual violence and has targeted the new duty on public authorities to promote gender equality, coming into force in April 2007. The Network is lobbying government to create a clearer and stronger focus for national support.
www.thurrock-community.org.uk

Rowan Harvey

Terrence Higgins Trust

Every 70 minutes, somebody in the UK is diagnosed with HIV. Rowan joined the Terrence Higgins Trust two years ago as Parliamentary Officer and Campaigns Officer, campaigning for equality and justice for people living with HIV and AIDS, and better sexual health for all. Rowan has increased the profile of sexual health, not only with politicians and people of social influence, but also with young political activists. She has provided direct support to THT?s campaigners? network, training over 300 people in the last two years.
www.tht.org.uk

Jeanette Kelly and Madge Clark

The Murray Owen Older Carers Group

Through ENABLE, The Murray Owen Older Carers Group are campaigning to highlight the needs of older carers. Over the last forty years their campaign focus has been to improve services for them and the children they care for. Jeanette and Madge have sucessfully lobbied the Scottish parliament, persuaded their local authority to appoint a worker to support older carers and have been interviewed in the Scottish national press to raise awareness of this issue.