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WISH Awards

The 'WISH Awards' are a celebration of successful projects/initiatives in the field of sexual health.

Judged by an independent panel, the awards are open to anyone working to promote sexual wellbeing in Scotland - in health, local authority or the voluntary sector.

This year's Awards were presented at the WISH National Conference at the Radisson Hotel, Glasgow on 28 October.

WISH Award Winners 2009

Category 1: Integrated Sexual Health

Marywell Healthcare Centre (Homeless Practice)

Dr Bev Skerrow, Marywell Health Care Centre

Homelessness status is specifically highlighted in the national Sexual Health Strategy. Critical sexual health needs to include prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, including Blood Borne Virus (BBV) prevention and detection, and addressing the morbidity associated with sexual violence and sex work. Marywell Healthcare Centre is the first custom built health facility for the homeless in Aberdeen. It was designed to promote partnership working, bringing a wide range of health and dental professionals from services together. The clinic functions on a drop in basis, running on weekdays with an average of 30 patients a day. The evaluation highlights universal cooperation, high staff opinion and significant, unrecognised sexual health morbidity. A Sexual Health Performa was introduced and as of August 2009, 98% of patients have been screened for Hep B & C and Longer-lasting contraception methods have been promoted. This model is now being looked at for wider application.


Category 2: Remote and Rural

Girls of Power

Anne Hughes, The Lighthouse, Dumfries and Galloway

The Girls of Power group was set up in an area of economic deprivation in Dumfries and Galloway to empower young women aged 12 – 18 to make positive choices about their sexual health. Meeting on a weekly basis the group explored all aspects of sexual health from tampons to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), abstinence to promiscuity, pregnancy to abortion. The group chose weekly activities that had the purpose of building confidence, being active as well as raising aspirations and expectations of life. Participants researched and made a presentation on a different STI each week and the group spent a weekend in London to find out about the Romance Academy, an organisation which encourages young people to delay becoming sexually active. The group are now working on setting up their own Romance academy.




Category 3: Creative Partnership Working

The Place@Sandyford East Renfrewhsire

Hazel Ann McWhirter, Health Improvement Team, East Renfewshire CHCP

Following a review of family planning services Sandyford services have expanded to include a Hub offering a sexual health service in each of the CH(C) P’s in the NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde area. To mirror services offered at the main service each of these hubs has a youth priority session (The Place) as an integral part of the service delivery. To encourage attendance and to remove barriers in attending a purely sexual health service Sandyford staff work with local agencies to develop and promote The Place as a service which covers a wide range of health issues which affect young people.
The Health Promotion programmes for these services include a project to encourage and support young people to stop smoking, WiiFit, which promotes physical activity in a limited space, skin care, dance exercise and oral health. The programme is displayed up to a month in advance to allow young people the opportunity to sign up for activities.



Category 4: Addressing Stigma and Discrimination

Sexual Bullying Programme, Reduce Abuse Project

Shona Bruce, Reduce Abuse Project Coordinator, Violence against women partnership, West Dunbartonshire Council,

This programme demonstrates a pro-active approach to addressing the Respect and Responsibility strands. In collaboration with young people, teaching staff and partners, the Sexual Bullying programme developed effective approaches to tackle gender based and homophobic bullying in school communities in West Dunbartonshire. Working in partnership with young people with the support of an arts organisation, this project resulted in the creation of a DVD resource, which explicitly and honestly portrays gender stereotyping and homophobic bullying at school. Recommended by the Scottish Government’s Prevention and Education Sub-group the programme has since been delivered in denominational secondary schools, enabling staff and young people to openly explore sexual bullying and work is now underway to incorporate sexual bullying into school and local authority anti-bullying policies.




Category 5: Beyond 25

Outfront

Michael Hawthorne, Community Development Officer, Dumfries LGBT Centre

Outfront is a service which was established in August 2007 by LGBT Youth Scotland with short term funding from NHS Dumfries and Galloway to respond to the needs of local LGBT adults.

Coming out is particularly difficult in rural areas, therefore adults who do not leave the Region are often either not out, live clandestine lives (whilst often engaging in risky sexual activity), or come out later in life. Many of the individuals who are left, posses a range of multiple and complex needs, not least in relation to mental health which can greatly impact on their general wellbeing, including their ability to experience positive sexual health and relationships. Before Outfront local LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) adults had no specialist provision, no commercial ‘gay scene’ and few mainstream services which felt able to respond to their needs. In response Outfront has undertaken a creative, responsive and ambitious programme of activity, based on identified need and designed to improve the wellbeing of LGBT adults in Dumfries and Galloway.