The announcement comes ahead of Pride in London’s celebration of the LGBT+ community and on the 44th anniversary of Terry Higgins’ death, when the 37-year-old Welshman became the first named person to die of an AIDS-related illness – marking the start of the UK’s response to HIV.
Lord Black, Deputy Chairman of Telegraph Media Group and a Conservative Life Peer, will start his three-year term as Chair at the charity’s annual general meeting (AGM) in December and joins the Board as trustee this month. He will take over from current chair Jonathan McShane, who joined the Board in 2016.
The appointment follows a rigorous recruitment process and comes at a crucial time in the UK’s HIV response and for Terrence Higgins Trust. Lord Black’s three-year term runs to December 2029, right at the point of success or failure for the government’s commitment to ending new HIV cases in the UK by 2030.
Lord Black has been Chair of the Royal College of Music since 2017 and member of its Council since 2009. Prior to joining Telegraph Media Group, he had a long, successful career in media and communications, and served on Brentwood District Council from 1988-92.
Lord Black was the first openly gay Conservative peer. He entered a civil partnership with his long-term partner Mark Bolland, which was later converted into marriage following Lord Black’s support for the historic legislation allowing same sex couples to marry. He won Peer of the Year at the 2016 Pink News Awards in recognition of his contribution to LGBT issue in Parliament.
Lord Black has been a long-standing supporter and Patron of Terrence Higgins Trust. He served on the HIV Prevention England Steering Committee from 2018 to 2021, where he advised on the delivery of national campaigns such as National HIV Testing Week.
Appointed to the House of Lords in 2010, Lord Black has been a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on HIV/AIDS. Lord Black has consistently made the case for increased investment in HIV testing and prevention, and for improved support for people living with HIV, including playing a key role in advocating for the expansion of opt-out HIV testing to more hospitals across England.
Lord Black of Brentwood, said on this appointment: 'Terrence Higgins Trust is much loved by the LGBT+ community and those who have had skin in the game since Terry Higgins’ death more than 40 years ago. It has changed the epidemic for the better: running innovative testing campaigns, providing first-class services for people living with HIV and changing government policy, laws, hearts and minds on the issue.
'I am deeply proud to have been associated with Terrence Higgins Trust for so many years and always admired its incredible work. To be appointed on the anniversary of Terry Higgins’ passing is deeply poignant for me. I am reminded of the history, the remarkable people who founded, created and sustained the charity and all we have to do to end new HIV cases and I pay huge tribute to everyone who has been a part of that journey. Imagine how it will feel to be the first country to end new HIV cases, without even a vaccine or a cure.
'While so much has changed, the stigma experienced by people living with HIV has not. I will work to change that and be a champion for all those whose lives are affected by HIV. Due to the stigma, so much of what Terrence Higgins Trust does is done in private – over the phone, in a counselling room or peer support setting. That wonderful work needs to be better known and I will do all I can to get the message out there that this incredible organisation is changing lives day-in, day-out.'
Jonathan McShane, outgoing Chair of Terrence Higgins Trust, said: 'I can think of no one better to hand the baton onto than Lord Black at this crucial point in the fight against HIV. Guy brings with him a wealth of experience in media and communications, as well as a political nous and a deep understanding of the inequalities which exacerbate the UK’s HIV epidemic.
'I have no doubt that Guy – with support from the talented Board of Trustees – is the right person to ensure Terrence Higgins Trust remains properly placed to see the UK become the first country in the world to end new HIV cases by 2030. We want to create a society where no one is held back by HIV or by people’s attitudes towards it. We cannot do this without the huge generosity of people giving their time and expertise to our cause, and donating to ensure we can continue our life-changing work.'
Lord Cashman, Patron of Terrence Higgins Trust, said: 'From one Lord to another committed to ending the UK’s HIV epidemic, I send my unreserved congratulations to Guy Black. He is a powerful advocate with an impressive parliamentary record, including on HIV prevention, testing and support. I have no doubt he will be a huge asset to Terrence Higgins Trust as its new Chair, working alongside the charity’s Chief Executive Richard Angell OBE. Guy is politically astute, a lifelong problem-solver and his diplomacy skills are second to none.'
