George House Trust receives a £151,760 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for our “The History And Legacy of HIV in Greater Manchester” project.
The grant, made possible thanks to National Lottery players, will mean George House Trust can tell the story of HIV across Greater Manchester and the associated activism, heroism, passion and loss.
Starting in July 2024, the project will appraise and catalogue George House Trust’s physical and digital archive material and preserve this by depositing it at Manchester Central Library. The archive will be preserved, better identified, and explained through this preservation and cataloguing, alongside a series of corresponding events and activities. At the end of the project in March 2026, people can learn about the history of HIV activism in Greater Manchester and this will lead to change in outdated perceptions and increased awareness about HIV and tackling HIV stigma.
The story of HIV in Greater Manchester and a Northern perspective more generally, has had limited exposure. George House Trust wants to liberate the archive as a piece of social history and ensure that the stories of people that made such a contribution to social action and change in Manchester are remembered; their efforts and campaigns are recorded and accessible; and the opportunity to educate, inform and use these as a tool to challenge and eradicate the pervasive HIV stigma that continues today.
People living with HIV have fought hard for the last 40 years - for access to treatment, for equality and for basic respect. The activists, staff, volunteers, clinicians, politicians, families, helpliners, charities, groups and the people who raised funds for the AIDS ward in Monsall Hospital - George House Trust wants everyone to know the truth about Greater Manchester’s HIV history.
Darren Knight, Chief Executive at George House Trust said: “For all those lost and for all those still living with HIV, this funding enables us to tell Greater Manchester’s HIV story over the last 40 years and make sure that story is never, ever forgotten. Thanks to National Lottery players, we can educate, inform and help people understand where HIV stigma comes from and how we can banish it to the history books and look forward with hope.”
Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “We are very proud to be supporting this transformative project that will record and preserve the important stories of people living with HIV and people we have lost. This grant, made possible by National Lottery players, ensures that the voices and memories of the community can be heard for generations to come.”
Dr George Severs, historian, said “As the history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Britain is written, there is a danger that London will eclipse the experience of other major centres of activism, charitable work and service provision. In my work, I argue that Manchester is just such a centre, and that George House Trust encapsulates that history. Archiving the collections of George House Trust has the potential to significantly reorient the British history of HIV/AIDS to Manchester.”
10th July 2024