THE BODY SHOP and UNAIDS have launched an international campaign asking the public to be ‘an activist’ and join the fight against HIV.

The campaign photographed by Ian Rankin, urges everyone to take personal responsibility for our actions by staying safe and protecting others…

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson who launched the campaign and exhibition at City Hall – which runs until 10 December – said: “HIV continues to have a major impact on the lives of Londoners and this exhibition shows it can affect anyone.

“It is our duty to keep HIV on the agenda, but I urge everyone to take personal responsibility to protect yourself and others against the condition.

“Whether directly affected or not, let’s stand shoulder to shoulder, show our support and challenge the stigma.”

Here are some quotes from those living with HIV who took part in the campaign after attending a casting in London earlier this year.

Emma C was diagnosed HIV-positive 20 years ago when she was just 22 years old, there’s nothing Emma doesn’t know about the effects of this virus: “ignorance still exists; we can only break that down by speaking up and educating people.”

Kristian has taken part in the campaign in honour of his friend and inspiration, Clint Walters, a HIV/Aids activist who died April 2010: “Aids is not a word, it’s a sentence and as someone who lives, day-in day-out with HIV, I can tell you it is something to be scared of. The disease dies with me.”

Scott P was one of the first people in the UK to successfully challenge his employer for discrimination based on his HIV status. He now talks to young people in schools about the virus: “HIV is often portrayed as a controllable disease like diabetes, but anyone taking combination therapy will say different.

Terry Longden, hair & make-up artist/stylist presenter and radio DJ is known to be ‘a bit goby’ possibly inherited from his Aunt and Uncle Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne: but it comes in handy living with HIV and being an ambassador for Northern Ireland charity AIDS 2000: “I am shocked that the red ribbon has lost its impact over the years.  I not afraid of being bullied, and Aids and HIV is a bully pushing you to be quiet.”

The late Dame Anita Roddick and founder of the Body Shop once said:  “Working for The Body Shop should not just be selling bars of soap, but working for the community, lobbying for social change, campaigning for the environment… working in fact, for the greater good.”

Her impact as a woman, entrepreneur and campaigner still lives and this campaign shows her spirit and the charities that she supported when CEO of the Body Shop – Body & Soul – are as strong today as ever.

You can go and see the exhibition at City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, SE1 until the 10 December. The Body Shop will be promoting the campaign in their shop windows through out December and have done a redesign of the red ribbon which can be brought in-store with all proceeds going to Body & Soul.

To find out more about the campaign and the activists click here

London Gay Mens Choir

27 NOVEMBER – LONDON – CARA TRUST WAD concert featuring the London Gay Men’s Chorus.  To book a place contact: Chris Woolls mail@caralife.com or 020 7243 6147. 1PM St Pancras Church, Euston Road. Upper Woburn Place NW1. Free.

For 24 hours the names of those people will be streamed on the site every 3.5 seconds. A memorial to lost love.

AIDSWatch first appeared on (what was then) Century Cable in the Los Angeles area on December 1st, 1996.

AIDSWatch continues as an art project, primarily in the Los Angeles area.

At the turn of the century the project base moved to the West Hollywood Citychannel television facilities. The City of West Hollywood has dedicated a channel each year for the entire 24-hour program. Website technology improvements have now made it possible for this once ‘cable only’ program to go worldwide via the internet.

The goal is to fill the roster with unique names by the year 2011. In all the years past we have repeated names in order to fill the 24 hours. When all the spaces are filled and the viewer logs on, when they see a name for that brief three and a half seconds they will be reminded of someone’s lost love. Another lost life to HIV/AIDS.

AIDSWatch was created as a memorial.www.aidswatch.org

Those party animals at  NAT have not ONE, not TWO, but THREE fundraising slots in the London clubbing calendar: supporting NAT’s campaigning work this World Aids Day. Here are the details…

GaydarRadio, Katherine Ellis and THE FREEMASONS Invite you To ‘Put It On’ For World AIDS Day. Sam Obernik, Amanda Wilson, and Shena will by belting out the anthems at Lo-Profile Bar – GaydarRadio’s very own Alex Baker and Phil Marriott – complete the line up for this exclusive World AIDS Day event with all the proceeds going to NAT. Hosted by the fabulous Sink the Pink Glitter Sprinklers. 1 December 84-86 Wardour Street, Soho. W1F. Tickets: £10 in advance / £12 door. 9pm ‘til Late BUY TODAY: £10 advance tickets

The Onyx night @ AREA invite you to very very gay affair at the Vauxhall venue for a fundraiser for NAT. There will be the usual mix of pumping house on the main dance floor and cool tech trance in the black box. What more could you want? 3 December. 66 Albert Embankment London SE1. Tickets £ 1 before midnight, £6 after. 10 till very late. AREA Bar and Club

Lovechild Club Night @ Fire invite you to the sexiest club night on the London calendar in support of NAT. Featuring: Leomeo from Paris & Naked DJ and Nick Wolanski and of course the sexiest dance troop and performers in the capital. 11 December. Fire South Lambeth Rd Vauxhall SW8. Tickets £10 11pm to 7am

Have a lorra lorra fun…

Check out the Positive Pulse diary for more WAD events click here

IN 1990, HRH, Diana, the Princess of Wales, visited Edinburgh to open Waverley Care Milestone, a retreat that now offers short-term residential support.

However. at the time of the Princesses visit, we lived in very different times: then Milestone helped many through their last days, in a loving caring environment and with dignity.

That ethos of care and the needs of those living with HIV have never changed, and over the years Waverley Care has achieved much. Most notably, establishing a Buddy Service in 1996 and the continuation of the SOLAS community projects.

To mark  Milestone’s 10^th anniversary 254 candles were lit to celebrate the lives of those who died and over 200 guests formed a human chain ‘A Round of Applause’ around the building.

By 2006 the African Health Project had been launched in Glasgow, and now in 2010 Waverley Care has become truly national to Scotland with offices in Inverness and many national and regional services.

Today Waverley Care is one of the most respected HIV charities in the UK. Many famous faces have supported their work including Sean Connery and Sir Ian McKellan.

Bringing people together is a key part of Waverley Care’s charitable work. They have achieved this, through fundraising activities and music has always played a central role.

From “come & sing” concerts to fully staged Gilbert & Sullivan operas, the charity have used music to empower the community and show support for people living with HIV and Hepatitis C in Scotland.

David Johnson, Director of Waverley Care said, “It seemed fitting, for our 21st birthday year, to try to leave a lasting musical legacy and so, with the support and encouragement of two of our Patrons, Bob Chilcott and Sir Tom Farmer, we launched our ‘Sing a New Song’ Christmas carol writing competition.

“The response has been overwhelming with 129 entries. We will announce the winner at the World AIDS Day ‘come & sing’ concert on the 27 November,” he added.

The concert will be conducted by Bob Chilcott and feature a massed choir singing Vaughan Williams’ ‘Fantasia on Christmas Carols’ and other seasonal items by Bob Chilcott and John Rutter.

Cadenza, one of Scotland’s leading amateur choirs will perform the shortlisted carols, and the winning conductor will be presented with their prize by Sir Tom Farmer, sponsor of the event.

27 November WAD ‘come & sing’ concert, St Cuthbert’s Church, Edinburgh. Times: Rehearsal: 2pm Concert: 7.30pm

1 December World AIDS Day Community Gatherings. St John’s Church, Princes Street, Edinburgh 6.30pm and at 7pm in St Mary’s Cathedral, Great Western Road, Glasgow.

For more info please visit www.waverleycare.org

ORGANISED sporting evens have never been more popular. From triathlons to open swimming events and the heady heights of the half and full marathon, more and more people are prepared to have a go: often raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for good causes.

If you fancy you fancy a 5k challenge, why not join Positive East and their supporters in Richmond Park on the 21 November for their first ever World Aids Day 5K Fun Run. You would be helping them to secure HIV services for one of London’s oldest HIV charities.

Mark Santos, Positive East Director said: “HIV remains a real and sometimes enormous challenge for individuals and communities across London.  The 5k Red Run is a fun opportunity to join us in the fight against HIV through raising awareness and much needed funds for our work.

“Over 26,000 people in London are living with HIV and this figure will continue to rise over the coming years. HIV remains a highly stigmatised health condition; significant numbers of people are living in poverty; and many are struggling with being able to keep healthy and well.  Our services and support are essential to enable people living with HIV to overcome barriers to live full and healthy lives,” added Santos.

Positive East has worked with over 2500 HIV-positive residents in North East London. The charities main focus has been enabling  people to live well with HIV through promoting health and wellbeing and offer a range of services including: advice, advocacy, counselling and support groups.

It is really easy to sign up for the 5k Red Run and make a difference for World AIDS Day 2010. The 5K Red Run is FREE to enter and families, running teams are all welcome. Sign up and pledge to raise £50 or more in sponsorship.

21 November – Richmond Park – All proceeds will be donated to Positive East. Register online at www.5K-red-run.org.uk or contact Mark Butcher by email on: mark.butcher@positiveeast.org.uk or call 0207 791 9353. www.positiveeast.org.uk

Photo by Jacob Love

THE WIG PARTY 2010 is one of London’s most glamorous and exciting annual fundraising extravaganza’s for HIV. It attrracts an A-list party growd and for the first time, it is raising funds for NAT.

The glitzy, fabulous extravaganza that is the Wig Party came to life in the late 90s when a group of friends just wanted to wear a wig and indulge in some high kicking glamour for glamour’s sake.

As the years went by, the party grew by word of mouth and the Wig Party soon took on a life of its own.  Dannii Minogue said the Wig Party is: “The Most Heavenly Charity Party around.”

Tickets cost £30 and can be purchased from www.wigparty.org

GMFA’s annual Gay Sports Day fundraiser is set to kick up a scrum this year with support from Rugby star and heart-throb Ben Cohen.

To get you all in the mood for some team spirited fun the he has sent you all a pre games pep talk.

“I am happy to support this year’s GMFA/RVT Gay Sports Day. Sport is an important part of my life and it’s great to see a community come together and enjoy sport in such a fun and accessible way. Plus it raises vital funds for the important work carried out by GMFA and the other charities which will benefit from the day.

“I would encourage everyone to form a team and take part or show your appreciation by making a donation on the day. I will personally be donating items that will be part of an auction at the end of the event. Best of luck to all the competitors and have a fantastic day.”

The day will see teams battle for victory in events such as the drag relay, the handbag throw and the fabulous 50m mince. Registration is now open at www.gmfa.org.uk/sportsday so you can sign your team up, get training and help raise vital money to benefit gay men and the local community. There will be trophies for the winning team, the team that raises the most money, and for the team judged to be wearing the best costumes.

The event which is co-run and held at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern will raise much needed funds to continue the work of the GMFA and other charities and has become a gay institution and a highlight of the summer calendar.

30 August – London – You can register a team until 25 August at www.gmfa.org.uk/sportsday or just go along and support those taking part. 1pm till 6pm

WHEN Elegies for Angels, Punk Rockers and Raging Queens, was first performed at the King’s Head Theatre, London in 1992 it received rave reviews and critical acclaim.

The show has since proved to big hit with theatre companies, helping to keep the issues surrounding HIV/Aids fresh in the minds of countless  theatre audiences around the world.

This dramatic play is best described as a performance with songs in the modern musical vein. With the libretto provided by Tony Award-winning author Bill Russell and the music by Janet Hood.

Inspired by the NAMES project AIDS Memorial Quilt and Edger Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology. The show celebrates the lives, and tells the stories of 30 people who lost their lives to the HIV virus, in free verse, monologues and song.

The plays latest outing from the Crysalis Theatre Company will be John Jackson Almond’s directorial debut as Artistic Director of the Shaw Theatre and will help raise funds for the Terrence Higgins Trust.

However, there is going to be one distinctive difference from past productions. Every night during the three week run, a major celebrity will be invited to perform one of the touching monologues,

Dionne Warwick said of the project: “We all have in some way been touched by this dreaded disease and the importance of this event is something that everyone should support.

“Dig deep and make this an event that will give the continued help to those not able to help themselves.”

You can simply go and purchase a ticket form the Shaw Theatre ticket line or if you would like to support fringe theatres in Camden of which this production is a part, you can make a donation of £25 to this project or volunteer. You are then eligable discounted tickets and invited to any show related events.

We will keep you updated here on any announcements of celebrities that take part in the production.

10-28 August – Shaw Theatre, London NW1. www.shaw-theatre.com Tickets: 0844 209 1663. £25 – To become a supporter of Camden Theatres please visit www.camdentheatres.com – £5 from each ticket sale will go directly to the THT. www.tht.org.uk

Click here to WIN TICKETS for ELEGIES FOR ANGELS…

For over two decades the Cara Trust have provided spiritual and pastoral support for people living with or affected by HIV.

However, with a range of services focused on social welfare, offering: peer support, complementary Therapies, counselling, life coaching and their work with the over 55, this Notting Hill based charity is no soft touch.

In response to the growing needs of those working and living with HIV, Cara have announced that they are to extend some service provision to every other Saturday.

The hope is, that people unable to access services during the week will be able to take advantage of the life couching, reflexology and cranio-sacral therapy on offer.

Director, Chris Woolls said: “After speaking with some of our existing members, especially those who we have helped move from regularly coming to Cara to re-entering the workplace, we understood how frustrating it can be for the person with HIV who holds down a job and desperately needs a little help.

“Yet all the support services close at 5pm Friday and re-open 9am Monday. As a positive man myself I know it can be a bit irritating that my GP, dentist, clinic, bank etc are all shut at the weekend, so why should I judge Cara any differently,” added Woolls.

Saturday opening dates 2010:

• 3 – 17 July
• 7 – 21 August
• 4 – 18 September
• 2 – 16 October
• 6 – 20 November
• 4 – 18 December

A drop-in service will not available on these dates but Cara hope to add massage and counselling to what’s on offer as the weekend services develop.

The reflexology and cranio-sacral therapy will be free of charge. The first life couching session will be free, then £10 for every further appointment, which Life Couch Tamer is donating to Cara.

The Cara Trust founded by Fr. David Randall in 1988 as a community of friendship of people living with HIV. The word Cara is derived from the Gaelic word for friend. Cara believe that their focus on community and friendship still holds true today.

For more information on the Cara Trust go to www.caralife.com or to book an appointment call 020 7243 6147.