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Our History
Our History 1987 to today
In 1987 two women living with HIV, finding that no services for women existed, took matters into their own hands, placing hand-drawn posters at clinics and inviting other women to meet in their living room. From this the charity Positively Women, was founded, with its ethos of peer support and provision of vital services for groups affected by HIV.
Fast forward over 20 years and Positively Women was being asked to support men, in particular parents, heterosexual men, men newly diagnosed with HIV and young people. In consultation with service users and stakeholders we then extended our remit to reach both men and women living with HIV.
So in June 2010 we changed our name to Positively UK, retaining our core ethos of peer support and continuing to develop vital services for groups affected by HIV who could not find support elsewhere.
Our peer support services for women remain and these sit alongside services for men and young people. We provide a helpline, one-to-one and group support through our peer led work, with specialist groups for women, heterosexual people, Caribbean, African and lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities. We also run specific programmes for people living with HIV to make informed choices around pregnancy and support for young people with HIV make the transition to adulthood and adult health services. Positively UK co-ordinates PozFem-UK, a national network of women living with HIV, which aims to be the national voice of women, influencing decisions, services and policy.
“I phoned Positively UK the very day that I was diagnosed, in a state of grief and shock. I remember well the way X talked to me, how she comforted me and how she suggested that I join a support group… I have not only been able to make a conscious choice about starting treatment, I have been able to plan and prepare myself both practically and mentally” Positively UK Service User
Positively UK work in partnership and delivers outreach at HIV clinics across London. We are a strategic partner of the Department of Health through the Women’s Health and Equality Consortium; staff are members of the Expert Advisory Group on AIDS, Independent Advisory Group on AIDS, and community representative for the British HIV Association.
Positively UK is based in London.
347-349 City Road
London EC1V 1LR
Telephone: 020 7713 0444
Helpline: 020 7713 0222
Fax: 020 7713 1020
Email: info@positivelyuk.org
See a map showing where we are by clicking here.
Office opening hours:
9.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
Helpline opening hours:
10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday
Late night opening on Thursdays to 8pm