Our OnlineShop Opens

posted: 28/10/2010

Our webshop has opened and our 'limited edition' 25th Anniversary badges are a bargain at £2.50.

To mark our 25th Anniversary, George House Trust released these limited edition pin badges, to help raise funds to support our work.

Limited 'bling' edition

They feature the attractive George House Trust logo, designed by one of our own advisers and these badges have been produced in a limited edition of only 1,000 with flashes of coloured enamel.

Priced at £2.50 (including postage and packaging). Now’s your chance to own a little bit of George House Trust history! Wear it with pride and show your support.

Visit our online shop and buy a bling pin badge 

Celebrating Our 25th with Pride

posted: 06/10/2010

George House Trust made a big impact at this years Pride event in central Manchester. 25 years ago six volunteers set up the organisation that became George House Trust. We've been at the heart of 25 years of campaigning and support for thousands of people with HIV across North West England ever since.
 

25th actions
The LGBT pride festival over the late August bank holiday weekend gave us a chance to promote our services to thousands of people in Manchester city centre. We chose silver on red for our 25th anniversary colours in the parade, had some human birthday cakes, gave out hundreds of 25th stickers, wore amazing retro George House Trust 25 T-shirts, shook a lot of cans, ran a popular stall in the Expo, photographed suggestions for T-shirt campaign slogans, and organised the vigil in Sackville Gardens.
 

Thanks
We are, as ever, immensely grateful to everyone who supported us at Pride in a hundred different ways, including all who volunteered and gave money. The warmth in the faces of so many people in the crowds lining the city centre streets, clapping and cheering us around the parade route for our 25 years of collective community efforts brought tears to our eyes. Thank You.
 

We are still waiting for the official announcement of the amount raised by Manchester Pride that is to be distributed to HIV and LGBT projects.
 

Appreciations
We would like to thank Beverley Knight for closing the vigil, Antony Crank for being our compere and Jonathan Mayor for his rallying call to action.
 

Vigil poem
Poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy wrote and read this moving poem for the vigil. She’s gifted the rights to George House Trust and we are happy for others to use this poem non commercially. 

VIGIL

When you lived,
no-one could hold a candle to you.
Tonight, small flames of memory
which scald the hands with wax tears
yearn to be tongues
uttering your name in light.

You burned bright,
illuminated right –
the vigilance of science,
the grace of tolerance;
this silence now
a deep, warm gathering of breath
to blow out guttering words:
stigma, ignorance, fear.
Let them know death.

One lit taper touches another,
contagious with fire,
and darkness glitters; brief flowers
each with its own smoke ghost -
they could be dancing, that close;
the living holding candles
for the lost.

CAROL ANN DUFFY August 2010
© george house trust Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives Licence
 

£212 from Ribbons, Rallies and Rubbers

posted: 26/08/2010

As part of the Fringe of the Manchester Pride Festival, our Ribbons, Rallies and Rubbers - Diary of a HIV Activist evening raised £212. It continued our 25th anniversary celebrations and featured speakers and artists involved in different types of HIV activism over the last 25 years.
 

The ever fabulous Jonathan Mayor, long standing prolific activist Peter Tatchell, the founding fathers of George House Trust, drag king extraordinaire Valentino King and the captivating performance poet Gerry Potter took to the stage in front of an audience of over 90 people at the Frog and Bucket Comedy Club.

YouTube of Jerry Potter's poem that he perfomed on the night and has performed at various HIV and AIDS vigils. It's a piece demonstrating the very centre strength of being queer. A heartfelt battle cry reaching through the decades and constantly involved in the now. A cheer for hope and a decoration adorning gay history.
 

The night was talked about on gaydio and we’ve had appreciative emails saying what a good night it was.
 

Thank you to all who came and showed HIV activism still matters.
 

Celebrating 25 years of volunteering!

posted: 04/06/2010

Over 40 volunteers enjoyed cake, candles and a look back at 25 years of volunteer involvement at George House Trust. The event was timed to coincide with National Volunteers Week and to celebrate George House Trust’s 25th Birthday year.
 

George House Trust was established by six volunteers in 1985, and today we involve over 130 volunteers in our work.
 

Volunteers play a key role in delivering responsive and relevant services to people living with HIV, challenging stigma and promoting the best possible quality of life for HIV positive people in North West England.
 

Heart of Salford Organisation of the Year
This week also saw George House Trust receive the Heart of Salford Organisation of the Year Award, in recognition of the way we involve and support our volunteers.
A big thank you to all our volunteers, from the staff and service users at George House Trust!
 

Want to get involved?
Want to get involved as a George House Trust volunteer? Our next Information Session for prospective volunteers is on Monday 6th July, 6pm-8pm at George House Trust or please email