Newsletter Issue two, August 2012
Hello! It’s Lia here from Terrence Higgins Trust. Welcome to the second edition of our newsletter just for Red Ribbon Fund holders and donors. I would like to start by saying a huge thank you for all your touching and valuable support. It has been a tough time here as spending cuts bite, but your Red Ribbon Fund has helped us to continue providing services for those who really need them. We really cannot thank you enough!
We are incredibly proud of the often groundbreaking and certainly essential work that we have done over the last 30 years, so we are saying: ‘Thanks Terry,’ for the legacy that Terry Higgins has left us. We are so grateful that, in your loved-one’s name, you are helping us to continue the fight against HIV and the prejudice and stigma that surrounds it. I really hope you find the newsletter interesting and helpful. As ever, if there is anything you would like to read about in future, please just let me know – my details are below. With warmest wishes and sincere thanks,
In this newsletter I will be telling you about how your Red Ribbon Fund helps people living with HIV and anyone who is at risk of poor sexual health. It is Terrence Higgins Trust’s 30th anniversary this year – that’s 30 years Lia Korn in which we have provided expert advice and support to some of the most vulnerable people lia.korn@tht.org.uk in society. 020 7812 1685
London to Brighton How would you like to take part in the scenic London to Brighton bike ride on 16th September, to raise money for your Red Ribbon Fund? If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Becky Harris on 020 812 1671 or becky.harris@tht.org.uk.
‘Thanks Terry’ – 30 years of crucial work in HIV. with HIV while helping others to avoid getting HIV and the many, lifelong problems it brings.
This is a personal letter from Rupert Whitaker. “My name is Rupert Whitaker and I am one of the founders of Terrence Higgins Trust. Firstly, a real thank you for remembering the person you loved by choosing to support Terrence Higgins Trust. It’s an active way of making a difference in the lives of people
When Terry Higgins died, a friend of his called Martyn Butler suggested that we do something about it. I agreed wholeheartedly. Martyn and I then saw through the setting up of the organisation, its registration as a charity, the establishment of the first community-based services, and the first preventionwork. We couldn’t bring Terry back—and the loss for me as Terry’s partner was intense at times—but we could make sure that we did something to prevent at least some people from suffering the way he had suffered. We also wanted to prevent others from losing a person they loved to HIV, as we had. It was a way of making sense of our loss. Like you, we donated our time, our money, our love, and our grief to make a
difference in the world. Since I became HIV-positive too about 30 years ago, I’ve come to know first-hand the real problems that HIV causes. I have seen the whole epidemic from the start and I survived where many, many others didn’t. Throughout these decades, the work of Terrence Higgins Trust has been essential and the drive and focus of its members, especially its volunteers, has made it possible to be of service to people with HIV and at risk of HIV. It should always be an honour to make a difference and the people who volunteer their time and money show THT what it can be. It is a remarkable legacy of the love for Terry and all the others who have lived and died from HIV. Thank you for joining me in honouring the memory of someone loved, by supporting the work of the Terrence Higgins Trust.”
For more information about HIV, sexual health and Terrence Higgins Trust’s work, please visit the website at www.tht.org.uk.
The Michael Fittock Red Ribbon Fund… Maureen Fittock’s son, Michael, tragically died of an HIV-related illness in 1993 when he was just 28 years old. Michael was a primary school teacher who was known to his students as lively and fun. He travelled widely and had many close friends. It is clear from Maureen’s stories, the obituary written by his friend Dennis and the many cards and letters of condolence that Maureen kindly shared with me, that Michael was very well loved. Maureen has been supporting Terrence Higgins Trust in memory of her son since 1997, which
is very touching. It is fantastic that Maureen values our work so highly. She now has an online Red Ribbon Fund for Michael, which has enabled his other friends and family to also contribute and share their memories about him. As well as donating on special occasions and anniversaries, Maureen gives a small regular gift which goes straight into Michael’s Fund. His Fund has now raised over £900 and I want to say a huge thank you on behalf of everyone here at Terrence Higgins Trust for the generosity of everybody who has donated.
How your Red Ribbon Fund helps By supporting us in memory of your loved one, you are helping us to be there for people who are often scared, vulnerable and desperately in need of our support. Terrence Higgins Trust provides a vast range of services all over the UK for people living with HIV or who are at risk of poor sexual health. One of these crucial services is THT Direct – our free helpline for anyone who is struggling to cope with living with HIV and anyone who has concerns about their sexual health.
Your Red Ribbon Fund could help someone like Angela… Angela was diagnosed with HIV in her mid30s after discovering that her boyfriend had been unfaithful. She was completely devastated and terrified of telling her family. She did not know what to do or where to turn. Eventually, in desperation, Angela told a friend - who suggested that she call THT Direct. The volunteers at THT Direct were able to give her emotional support straight away and then whenever she felt she needed it. They also referred her to a Terrence Higgins Trust support group, where she met other people living with HIV and could talk openly about her feelings, fears and concerns, as well as practical issues. When Angela had regained some confidence and realised that her life was not over, she really wanted to give something back. So she decided to become a volunteer on the helpline.
Angela says: ‘I felt indebted to THT Direct and really wanted to give something back to the charity. I trained to become a volunteer to provide the same critical support and advice.’
or someone like Ian… Ian called THT Direct when he was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 29. Ian was very isolated and feeling suicidal at times – he felt he just could not cope with the stigma anymore. The helpline volunteers were able to give Ian invaluable emotional and practical support. They were even able to provide legal advice around benefits and HIV in the workplace. The advisers referred Ian for counselling and to a support group, which we know is often a real lifeline. Calling THT Direct was the first step towards Ian receiving the help he so badly needed. This is true of so many people who use this crucial service. Ian says: ‘Thanks so much for just listening - I started to feel like a human being again. You were a true listening friend, I don’t know what I’d have done without you all. I have been having a very difficult time but am now feeling much more optimistic and in control.’ It costs £285 to train a THT Direct volunteer to provide invaluable support for someone such as Angela or Ian. In 2011, our volunteers were able to be there for 23,000 people. Your Red Ribbon Fund is helping us to continue to provide support for those who need us – which is truly a tribute to your loved one.
The HIV and sexual health charity for life Registered address: 314-320 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8DP Website: www.tht.org.uk Tel: 020 7812 1600 Email: info@tht.org.uk THT Direct: 0808 802 1221
Leave a legacy to your Red Ribbon Fund Leaving a gift in your Will to your Red Ribbon Fund could make a huge difference to Terrence Higgins Trust. Leaving just 1% of your Estate could go a long way, and will help ensure that we can continue supporting people well into the future. Leaving a gift to a charity in your Will is a big decision - but if you are considering it, and would like any further information, please get in touch with me via the contact details below. I would also love to hear from you if you have already left a gift to Terrence Higgins Trust in your Will and would like to tell us about it. Phone: 020 7812 1685 Email: lia.korn@tht.org.uk
Terrence Higgins Trust is a charity registered in England and Wales (no. 288527) and Scotland (SCO39986). Company reg. no. 1778149. Registered in England. A company limited by guarantee. © Terrence Higgins Trust, August 2012.