Children With AIDS Charity - Supporting families infected and affected by HIV/AIDS

“The CWAC transport service is really important to the work of Riverside. Without it, we could not get the children and young people to our groups and our service users would struggle to attend hospital appointments.”
Lesley Craise: Glasgow Riverside Manager

“I get tired because of the virus and my three children wear me out. I would not have the energy to get to my hospital appointments if it was not for the CWAC taxis.”
Riverside Service User

“I used it to get to Women’s Aid. I was being battered and needed to get away.
The children use the transport service to get to their groups. It’s really good for them to be able to get out, they worry so much about me.”
Riverside Service User

WaverleyCare Solas, Edinburgh

“The transport service is a very important part of our provision; many of our service users are in poor health and are not able to bring their children to our service. Children and young people would be unable to access support services crucial to their well being if the service was not available.”
Nichola Frith: WaverleyCare Childcare Co-ordinator

“My children go to groups at Solas for support and different activities.
I am not able to take my children to Solas regularly because of ill health; the transport service has been a great help to me and my family we could not manage without it.”
Waverley Solas Service User

“The transport service helps my children to get to their groups at Solas.
Without the transport service, my children would not have anyone to talk to about HIV, I am a single parent looking after six children; it would not be possible for me to take children individually to groups at Solas.”
Waverley Solas Service User

George House Trust, Manchester

“Having the Transport fund really is brilliant. We can help families with children in all sorts of situations and at short notice too. Mostly we use it for taxis to hospital appointments but also getting parents and children to school, people home after meetings, to meetings etc. e also used it for a young carer’s event. It really is an essential part of what we do now! Also as we see increasing numbers of families/children there is an increase in demand and we could feasibly use the fund 3 or 4 times over and not be being reckless/ over generous. People really appreciate all the help they get. Keep up the good work CWAC and thanks v.v. much.”
Lynda Shentall: Specialised Service Manager, George House Trust

“It helps me by making it easier and faster to get to my hospital appointments. Also I don’t have to worry about the financial side when travelling.”
George House Trust Service User

“It really really helps me making it easier especially if I don’t have money I don’t have to worry about it.”
George House Trust Service User

Bristol Royal Hospital for Sick Children

“This service is used for transporting the young teenage support group around for outings. It is also to be used to help parents bring their children to clinic. This is useful, as it will help these teenagers support each other when they have no one else to talk to who knows their diagnosis. Also it enables some of these families to come to clinic when otherwise it would be difficult due to finances.”
Lizzie Hutchison: Clinical HIV Nurse Specialist

Chelsea and Westminster

“It ensures that families with poor attendance are seen regularly and their disease is therefore arguably better controlled as they receive regular quality care. It also enhances the relationship between the support centre and the family demonstrating care and understanding of their circumstances.”
Paula Seery: Clinical HIV Nurse Specialist

Whipps Cross Hospital

“The transport service has greatly improved attendance at clinics for those with a history of non-attending. It also has proved invaluable to those mums of indeterminate babies in those 1st early weeks following birth.”
Kim Gardiner: HIV Nurse Specialist

“I use the transport service to take my children to hospital
It means I can take both of them to clinic at the same time. It isn’t possible on public transport as they are both very active.”
Parent at Whipps Cross Hospital

St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington

“The Transport service provided by CWAC has been an invaluable asset to the Family HIV Clinic here at St Mary’s in Paddington. Many families have and are been helped to access the hospital in an emergency situation if a child is unwell.
Some families come to the clinic on three monthly appointments and the volume of medication can be huge. In these circumstances, if necessary we are able to deliver these drugs saving the family from having to make two or three trips.
We all tend to take transport for granted but through CWAC’s support it can and does make a difficult times a little easier. Thank you”.
Jo Dodge: Family HIV Co-ordinator

Great Ormond Street Hospital

“The Transport Fund is used to bring a child who is either unwell or needs to be seen urgently into clinic or other hospital department. e.g. child with rash, swollen neck, shingles.

If a child’s parent is ill or disabled then the transport is used to bring them in to attend clinic appointments and return home, as child cannot travel alone. e.g. Parent had stroke, has cardiac problems, broke ankle, just started HAART and feeling ill.

If a family has no financial means so cannot attend the transport is used.
e.g. asylum seekers, low income.

To deliver medicines to another CNS, home or hospital for a child then bike or van courier service is used- again usually due to ill-health or financial problems that the parent/guardian does not come to the hospital to collect medicines.
In all these ways the transport is helping children directly by getting them seen at clinic to identify problems or complications of either the HIV disease or therapy; or by delivery of drugs to prevent gaps in therapy.This prevents further deterioration, keeps up the attendance at clinic where health is monitored, and provides the Family Clinic the means by which to assist families when needed, in a way not provided or usually available by either Hospitals or Social Services.”
Margaret Clapson: Senior HIV Clinical Nurse Specialist

“I use the transport to go to Great Ormond Street Hospital. My children are both small, which makes travelling on my own with them very hard, especially since I’ve not been too well.”
Parent: Great Ormond Street Hospital