The building which will house the new Body Positive centre. Wellington people living with HIV will soon have access to their own branch of an increasingly national support and advocacy organisation, thanks to a grant from an AIDS charity fund. Most people living with HIV in New Zealand are gay and bi men and while over half of those men live in Auckland an estimated 350 live in and around Wellington, according to Body Positive, which is about to set up shop in the capital. Body Positive, the country's largest and most influential HIV-positive people's support and advocacy organisation and which grew out of peer-provided initiatives in Auckland, has often been criticised for not providing sufficient services and physical access outside Auckland, says BP General Manager Bruce Kilmister. "But planning has been underway for a Wellington presence for a long time now and a large grant from MAC AIDS," the HIV philanthropy arm of MAC Cosmetics, "has finally made it possible... it's always been a dream of ours but sadly it's been a long time coming," Kilmister says. He says a full range of services will be provided including counseling, Social Welfare support, massage and other well-being assistance and HIV testing. The new presence, to be located in central Courtenay Place, will be managed by BP's current office manager in Auckland, Ron Irvine, who is originally from Wellington and who will move back to the capital to take on the position. A part time receptionist will be engaged and other services will be provided by volunteers and contracted professionals. Kilmister says the projected opening date for the new centre, for which a lease is understood to have been signed on a space above the Burger King outlet, is June 1st.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Sunday, 28th April 2013 - 6:40am