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Phoenix Workshops

Phoenix Workshops have been a staple component of BGF’s holistic care and support for a number of years. They support PLHIV to face life’s challenges, build confidence and initiate positive change. The workshops engage with participants in areas such as:

Mood disorders and resilience
Stress, anxiety and managing change
Returning to work, study or volunteering
Learning new skills (ie - art or short story writing)
Social housing issues
Legal concerns

Phoenix Workshops have had a profound effect on improving participants’ sense of wellbeing, social inclusion and quality of life.

Current Workshops

Art Phoenix

This workshop series "HIV heART" will feature outdoor drawing, painting in the studio and the use of collage to create images. The venue for this workshop is in Darlington, and the course runs for 2 hours each Wednesday morning for 6 weeks. A $20 fee applies to cover all materials each course.

Whether you are a beginner with little or no experience, or an experienced artist, this is a forum where you can work at your level and pace. Direction and guidance will be provided to those who request or require it.

Next Workshops

Sessions for 2017 to be announced

To learn more about the program, download a brochure.

Money Matters

This workshop is being held over 2 consecutive weeks for 3 hours per session and will be held at the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation offices in Surry Hills, Sydney.

Topics covered include:

Planning and Budgeting
Saving and Spending
Everyday Banking'
Planning for your Future
Welfare Rights and Changes to Centrelink Benefits
How to Access No Interest Loans for Household Items

This highly interactive workshop is facilitated by Craig Doyle (BGF Financial Counsellor) and Sue Wood (BGF Caseworker).

Learn more about the Money Matters workshop here.

Health Management

The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation offers Positive Self-Management Program (PSMP) workshops for People Living With HIV.

These highly interactive workshops are designed to provide the tools for people to learn how to take control of, and better manage their chronic but manageable health conditions.

Learn how to Take Control of Your Health.

Eat Well Live Well

Run in partnership with Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre, this is a 10 week course, teaching not only hands on Cooking skills, but also Health and Nutrition. We address food insecurity, which is not only defined by income, but by mobility, access to transport, knowledge and skills and good mental health.

Food security is long term and ongoing, rather than week to week and healthy diets lead to good disease management . HIV and the medications can cause people to have low levels of naturally occurring vitamins that we get from the food we eat compared to people without HIV and throughout the workshop we look at the nutrients most affected and foods that can help replete them.

Subject matter includes:

2 group sessions with a dietician plus 1 on 1 consultations
Addressing mental health (Black Dog Institute)
Reading food labels and a shopping trip
Eating out on a budget and making heathy choices
Substituting healthy ingredients
Finding the motivation to cook for one
Food budgeting
Kitchen and food hygiene
Hands on cooking skills
Mindfulness

Each week all participants also cook a 2 course lunch in the fully equipped commercial kitchen.

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