METRO is a GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Gold Champions IMPACT Award winner in recognition of its excellent and innovative services to people experiencing issues relating to sexuality, gender, identity or diversity. The charity will be awarded £35,000 by The Kings Fund and GSK and a training development programme at a ceremony in central London in May.
As an award winner in 2007, Metro was eligible for consideration as an IMPACT Champion and was selected out of 100 applicants to be one of only three Gold Champions. The judges looked at how the charity has developed and innovated since its original win, its key achievements and the difference that has made to its service users.
METRO has grown significantly since winning its 2007 IMPACT Award, broadening its reach to encompass national and international projects, diversifying its client base and establishing 59 new projects. In 2011 the charity reported 40,000 occasions of service and its current main user groups are: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people, African people, young people under 25 and people living with HIV.
Metro's services include sexual health information, screening, testing, treatment and counselling; crisis support, counselling and self-help and groups, activities and support for young people. The judges were particularly impressed with Metro's peer-mentoring programme, where trained volunteers work with men who have sex with men to discuss their sexuality and help identify and establish safer sex practices. This approach has now been rolled out across London, nationally and internationally and is being used in other communities, including in London with African communities at risk of HIV infection. Furthermore, the Health Protection Agency noted that METRO's pilot community based HIV testing for high risk African communities had one of the highest positivity rates of all the models that had been tested.
Marguerite McLaughlin, Metro CEO said:
'Everyone at Metro is absolutely thrilled to be an IMPACT Gold Champion. Since our IMPACT win in 2007, we have been on an incredible journey of diversification and growth, which has meant that we have been able to increase our reach and support more people than ever before. We are extremely grateful to GSK and the Kings Fund for their recognition of and support for our work. It really is a team effort at Metro and I want to thank all of our staff, volunteers, service users, partners, funders and supporters for their commitment and support.'
Lisa Weaks, Third Sector Programme Manager at The King's Fund, said:
'This charity is clearly going places while remaining true to its voluntary sector roots. The judges were particularly impressed with how professionally run it is with excellent systems and strong leadership. It has been and continues to be innovative. It is difficult to see how it can be anything other than a gold award winner.'
ENDS
For all media queries:
Patricia Durr, Head of Communications & PR, patricia@metrocentreonline.org 020 8305 5000 x136, 07912515397
Notes:
1. METRO is a health, community and youth services provider working locally, pan-London, regionally, nationally and internationally. We conduct research, challenge discrimination and promote equality. The charity is based in Greenwich and has offices in Vauxhall, Woolwich and very recently, Rochester. www.metrocentreonline.org
2. The GlaxoSmithKline IMPACT Awards are open to charities with an income of between £10,000 and £1.5million that are at least three years old. The name 'IMPACT' derives from the criteria that winners must have demonstrated in their application submissions: Innovation, Management, Partnership, Achievement, Community Focus and Targeting Need. For the IMPACT Champions, open to IMPACT award winners from 2006 to 2011, three were awarded Gold prizes and funding of £35,000; 1 was awarded silver, with £10,000 and four were awarded bronze with £5,000 of funding. As well as receiving £35,000 in prize money, the winners are offered a training programme hosted by The King's Fund that provides expert development and networking opportunities. Feedback has shown that this opportunity is as valuable to the winning charities as the financial reward as it builds upon the skills to take their organisations into a dynamic, exciting future.
3. The calibre of award is reflected in its judging panel who chose the winners, which this year includes Professor Steve Field, former Chair of the Royal College of GPs and Chair of the NHS Future Forum which advises government on health policy; Peter Wanless, Chief Executive of Big Lottery; Gilly Green, Head of UK Grants at Comic Relief; Sir Christopher Gent, Chairman of GSK; and, Sir Chris Kelly, Chair of The King's Fund
The King's Fund is a charity that seeks to understand how the health system in England can be improved. Using that insight, it helps to shape policy, transform services and bring about behaviour change. Its work includes research, analysis, leadership development and service improvement. It also offer a wide range of resources to help everyone working in health to share knowledge, learning and ideas. www.kingsfund.org.uk
4. GlaxoSmithKline - one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies - is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. www.gsk.com