Our Story

We've been providing HIV support and advice services since 1985.  

George House Trust is a HIV support charity, committed to ensuring that people living with HIV have what they need to live well. We are a diverse team of highly skilled and knowledgeable staff and volunteers, providing advice, information and guidance on everything from being newly diagnosed, to ageing well with HIV.

1980s

In 1985 six gay HIV activists set up Manchester AIDSline in response to the arrival of the HIV virus in Manchester.  The City Council formed an ‘AIDS Working Party’ and the North Western Regional Health Authority began to support Manchester AIDSline financially. Our support developed and we began providing more targeted and tailored services, such a befriending support and information resources for professionals.

1990s

The organisation changed its name to George House Trust in 1990 and then we moved to our current home in Ardwick Green North, Manchester. George House Trust adopts the slogan 'There is still life with HIV'.  George House Trust brings together all HIV charities across the North to challenge the government’s downgrading of HIV and the very real threats to public funding.

2000s

George House Trust throws itself into the heart of campaigning, celebrating more than 15 years of action and lobbying for the repeal of ‘Section 28’, which prohibited local authorities from promoting homosexuality in schools.  Also, the start of George House Trust's campaign against criminalisation and promoting testing through the ‘Testing, testing 123’ campaign.  The extent of Africans living with HIV in the North West began to emerge and was reflected in George House Trust's service development and campaigns.  The now traditional HIV candlelit vigil at the end of Manchester Pride's Big Weekend was also established during this decade.

2010s

George House Trust's campaigning continued, building awareness of HIV in the tattooing industry and informing people living with HIV of their rights in accessing tattoos. In 2014 we hosted the first ever 'Drag Ball', an event that's raised significant funds to support our work.

2020s

We continued to expand our targeted services offer, through providing new projects for African Men, Women and people aged 50+. In 2022, we expanded our support offer to Liverpool with our PaSH Partners BHA for Equality and LGBT Foundation. In 2024, George House Trust had expanded its formula milk for new babies offer across all ten boroughs of Greater Manchester and Liverpool.