George House Trust wins top UK health award

George House Trust, a charity supporting people to live well and confidently with HIV across Greater Manchester, Liverpool and beyond, has scooped one of this year’s GSK IMPACT Awards, a sought-after accolade for health care charities in the UK. 

If a person is on effective treatment, HIV is now untransmittable and can be managed just like any other long-term condition, but ongoing stigma can greatly affect people’s confidence and wellbeing. George House Trust works hard to break down this stigma. 

The award judges were particularly struck by the charity’s collaborations with local NHS organisations and other charities. George House Trust’s ‘Passionate about Sexual Health’ partnership, a collaboration with BHA for Equality and the LGBT Foundation, is recognised as a key part of Greater Manchester’s plan to tackle HIV. Thanks to its success, the programme has recently been extended to Liverpool. 

Following a rigorous selection and assessment process, George House Trust was chosen from a record number of award entries as one of the 10 winners of the 2025 GSK IMPACT Awards. Now in its 28th year, the awards are delivered in partnership with leading health and care charity The King’s Fund. The awards are widely seen as a mark of excellence in the charity health sector and are designed to recognise outstanding small and medium-sized charities working to improve people’s health and wellbeing in the UK. 

As an award winner, George House Trust will now receive £40,000 in unrestricted funding as well as a place on a highly sought-after leadership development programme provided by The King’s Fund.  

The HIV Action Plan in England has set a target to end new HIV transmissions by 2030. In Greater Manchester, there were over 6,000 people living with HIV in 2022, but around 5% were unaware of their status and there are rising numbers of late diagnosis. Nationally, 50% of people now living with HIV are over 50 years old, and with that there is a growth of HIV running alongside other health conditions, such as heart disease and cancer, along with a high rate of diagnosed mental health conditions. 

George House Trust started as Manchester AIDS line in 1985. Today, the charity provides a range of targeted support services, including awareness raising, sexual health information and advice, counselling and peer support.   

People living with HIV often experience financial hardship, and so the charity also offers a wellbeing fund which provides people with practical items, such as destitution support, clothing vouchers, and tins of formula milk for babies of mothers living with HIV. 

In 2023/2024, George House Trust provided advice, information and support to 2,600 people living with HIV, and its targeted Ageing Well programme connected to almost 800 people living with HIV aged over 50. The charity’s online training on HIV stigma, developed in partnership with Manchester Univesity NHS Foundation Trust and Dibby Theatre, has reached 18,000 health care professionals working at the Trust and is now being rolled out more widely. 

While the financial context in which charities operate is increasingly challenging, the award judges were impressed by George House Trust’s strong community focus and commitment to understanding and using people’s personal experience to inform the design and delivery of its services.  

The award judges also highlighted that the charity has adapted and expanded over the years to reflect the changing needs of the local community. For example, it delivers The African Men’s Engagement Project, which provides tailored support to African men living with HIV, combining one-to-one support with group sessions supported by peer volunteers. It also teamed up with We are Survivors on the issue of sexual activity while under the influence of drugs, known as Chemsex.  

Lisa Weaks, Senior Associate at The King’s Fund, said: ‘George House Trust is a well-established and valued charity in its community. It works to ensure that those with HIV can live well and access support services tailored to their individual needs, while keeping people’s real-life experiences at its heart. Working together with NHS organisations and other charities, the charity also plays an incredible role in breaking down barriers around HIV stigma.’ 

Commenting on the award, Darren Knight, Chief Executive of George House Trust, said: ‘I’m absolutely delighted that in our 40th year, we’re one of the GSK Impact Award winners. Every day when I walk into the office, I see the passion, pride and professionalism that our staff and volunteers have in their work. The lived experience that’s at the heart of all that we do means that we deliver person-centred support that makes a difference. This recognition is fantastic and the investment in our activity and our leadership will mean that we continue to evolve, develop and expand our offer to better meet the needs of, and more importantly, have a real and tangible impact for, people living with HIV.’    

Developing leaders in the charity sector is a key aim of the GSK IMPACT Awards programme and all winners are invited to build on their success and take part in a tailored leadership development programme run by The King’s Fund.