UK Sexual Health Awards 2013 now open

The UK’s two leading sexual health charities, Brook and FPA, are delighted to announce that nominations for the second UK Sexual Health Awards are now open. The Awards include prizes for journalism, storylines and scriptwriting as well as community health initiatives.

The UK Sexual Health Awards 2013 celebrate excellence and diversity in the field of sexual health and are open to professionals, volunteers, young people, community-based services, campaigners, journalists, advertisers and scriptwriters – all who make a difference with their work related to sexual health.

Brook and FPA are encouraging everyone to nominate their favourite person or initiative of 2012 and get their work nationally recognised. You can make your nominations at www.uksexualhealthawards.org.uk.

The categories are:

• The Rosemary Goodchild Award for excellence in sexual health journalism.
• Sexual health professional of the year.
• JLS young person of the year.
• Adult sexual health service/project of the year.
• The Pamela Sheridan young people’s sexual health service/project of the year.

And Brook and FPA are delighted to announce two exciting new categories for 2013:

• Sexual health media campaign/storyline of the year.
• The Durex Community Pharmacy Award.

Guests and celebrities will celebrate the winners and toast the success of the finalists and their colleagues at the fashionable art deco venue in London’s East End – Troxy. The Awards night is being held on 14 March 2013. Tickets to join in the Awards night celebrations are available to purchase from the Awards website.

Simon Blake (Brook’s Chief Executive) and Julie Bentley (FPA’s Chief Executive) said:

“There is so much fantastic work taking place every day to improve people’s sexual health and wellbeing. In times when we are facing changes and cuts to services it is really important and exciting that we recognise and celebrate that best practice.”

Nominations for all categories close on the 14 January 2013.

For further information and to make your nomination or book your place at the UK Sexual Health Awards please visit the Awards website.

You can also follow the UK Sexual Health Awards on Twitter @SHUKawards.

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For media enquiries please contact:

1. Rebecca Findlay, FPA: 020 7608 5265 or email rebeccaf@fpa.org.uk
2. Natalie Collyer, Brook: 020 7284 6062 or email press@brook.org.uk

Notes to editors

About Brook

Brook is the UK’s leading provider of sexual health services and advice for young people under 25. The charity has over 45 years of experience working with young people and currently has services in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Jersey. Brook services provide free and confidential sexual health information, contraception, pregnancy testing, advice and counselling, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and outreach and education work, reaching more than 294,000 young people every year.
www.brook.org.uk/
Ask Brook helpline 0808 802 1234
Twitter @BrookCharity

About FPA

The sexual health charity FPA provides straightforward information, advice and support to all people across the UK on all aspects of sexual health, sex and relationships. FPA educates, informs and supports people through our work in the community, our helpline and information service, our counselling service, our training and publications and our public awareness campaigns.
www.fpa.org.uk
FPA helpline 0845 122 8690
Twitter @FPACharity

About Durex

Sex plays a fundamental role in our physical and emotional wellbeing. We believe that a healthy and rewarding sex life should be everyone's to enjoy. Durex is manufactured by Reckitt Benckiser (RB), one of the UK’s leading OTC healthcare companies, which has a strong policy of social responsibility including working alongside third party expert organisations’ such as FPA and Brook on developing projects specifically designed to contribute to the health and wellbeing of society.
www.durex.co.uk

XES – We Can’t Go Backwards campaign

Brook and FPA’s XES – We Can’t Go Backwards campaign aims to protect sexual health rights and choice. Contraception and other sexual health services, information and education are a basic right, earned through decades of struggle. But through stealthy funding cuts, policy changes and increasingly aggressive opposition our rights are being eroded.
www.wecantgobackwards.org.uk
Twitter @XEScampaign