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Media Centre > News Releases > EPF works with sporting federations
Ensuring Positive Futures joins forces with sporting heroes to raise awareness of HIV
12th December 2006
Andy Harvey, EPF Trade Union Development Officer (centre), with Barry McGuigan (right) and Micky Cantwell - former UK flyweight boxing champion. Sports personalities act as great role models, and are key to raising awareness of HIV.
To mark World AIDS Day, EPF Trade Union Development Officer, Andy Harvey, was invited to speak to the General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) Education Sports Forum.
Present at the meeting were representatives of the Professional Footballers Association, the League Managers Association and the Professional Boxers Association.
Andy told the meeting of the stigma and discrimination that all too often accompanies HIV, and asked for their support in raising awareness of HIV.
Sport has a big part to play in the fight against the global AIDS epidemic.
Professional sports people can act as high profile role models and the work done by England footballers Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand and David James has had a big impact on raising awareness with younger people across the globe.
Furthermore grass roots sport can provide an opportunity to teach children and young people about HIV as well as develop confidence and leadership skills through sport.
Former world flyweight boxing champion, Barry McGuigan who was at the event said:
“Boxing is well aware of HIV as it is such a contact sport and everyone should get behind EPF’s HIV awareness raising campaigns.”
Andy Harvey, EPF Trade Union Development Officer said:
“This year over half a million children died from AIDS across the globe. One of those children may have grown up to be a world champion, but he or she never had the opportunity because of AIDS. The GFTU Education Sports Forum shows trade unions and sport coming together to help combat AIDS so that the next generation of children can live to realise their hopes and dreams.”
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Notes
- Ensuring Positive Futures is part of a community programme called Equal, a European Social Fund initiative, which tests and promotes new means of combating all forms of discrimination and inequality in the labour market. The GB Equal Support Unit is managed by ECOTEC.
- The GFTU is the federation for specialist trades unions. The total membership of specialist Unions affiliated to the Federation as at 31 December 2005 was approximately 214,113. There are a total of 35 affiliated unions including sports federations. GFTU is a strategic partner in the Ensuring Positive Futures programme. www.gftu.org.uk
Contact
Andy Harvey, EPF Trade Union Development Officer
Tel: 020 7564 2180
Email: aharvey@ukcoalition.org
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