At the start of July, we launched our archive at the Bishopsgate Institute, gathering together 40 years of HIV and sexual health history and making it accessible to the public for the first time.

The launch event was held on 4 July 2022, which marked exactly 40 years since the death of our name sake Terry Higgins. It was a chance to reflect on our history and progress, as well as the many struggles and losses in that time.

The collections of the organisation includes four decades of newsletters charting the progress of the epidemic, sexual health posters from dozens of countries, unique archival video and an incredibly well-stuffed box of condoms from different eras.

Anyone can now explore the archive by visiting Bishopsgate Institute, London and requesting the material they want to see up close.

The event was opened by our Chair of Trustees, Jonathan McShane, who reflected on what it meant to inherit the legacy of so many.

Also speaking was Robin Gorna – a veteran AIDS activist who started as a volunteer for us in 1986 – who remembered five trailblazers in our early work.

Stefan Dickers, Special Collections and Archives Manager at Bishopsgate Institute, discussed how the archive will be used by students, academics and members of the public.

Bakita Kasadha, poet and HIV researcher, reflected on experiences of living with HIV today and performed a new poem on the history and story of the Terrence Higgins Trust Heart symbol.

Finally, Tony Whitehead, our first Chair of Trustees, told the story of how he became involved with charity and of the early days of campaigning, safer sex messaging and service provision.

If you are a former staff member trustee or volunteer, please make sure we can contact you about our 40th Anniversary.