Administrative/Biographical History

Terry Higgins was one of the first people in the UK to die of an AIDS-related illness. He died aged 37 on 4 July 1982 at St Thomas’ Hospital, London. By naming the trust after Terry, the founder members – his partner and friends – hoped to personalise and humanise AIDS in a very public way, at a time when the virus attracted only fear, hostility and ignorance.

Established with the intention of preventing others from having to suffer as Terry had, from the outset THT focused on raising funds for research and awareness of the illness that was then called ‘Gay-Related Immune Deficiency’ (GRID) and had only been identified the previous year. A public meeting about GRID organised by London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard and THT brought together a small group of committed volunteers from a range of backgrounds. This included Tony Whitehead, who went on to become the first Chair of the Trust’s steering committee.

In August 1983, the Trust was reborn as a formal organisation, Terrence Higgins Trust, with a constitution and a bank account. By November the Trust was a limited company with a Board of Directors, and by January 1984 it had gained charitable status. THT provided direct services immediately, including buddying/home-help, counselling, drug education and sex education. The first charity in the UK to be set up in response to the HIV epidemic, the largest in Europe and generally considered the UK’s leading HIV and AIDS charity, now for over 40 years it has been at the forefront of the fight against HIV and AIDS, mounting hundreds of health campaigns and raising funds and awareness.

Scope and Content:

Publications, papers, ephemera of the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) (1983-Present). Includes files and records relating to the governance of THT and to staff and volunteers, including reports, policies, meeting minutes and notes, operation plans, records relating to mergers with other charities and organisations, records relating to staff and volunteers; records from the London Lighthouse (LLH) Archive, spanning from it's inception in 1986.

Includes reports, publications, donations books, remembrance books, photographs, ephemera, administrative records, records relating to the merger with THT, press cuttings and photographic materials; records relating to THT projects, initiatives and campaigns, as well as other collaborations with other charities and organisations, includes draft papers, design mock ups, correspondence, reports, press releases, presentations, ephemera and draft publications;

Papers and publications produced by or accrued by THT, including reports, conference papers, booklets, pamphlets, posters; records relating to the various services provided by THT, such as the Helpline; newsletters; counselling services; HIV and AIDS health support services; the Buddy service; clinics and testing services as well as services provided by other charities and organisations related to HIV/AIDS work; records relating to research into HIV/AIDS both produced and collated by THT, includes reports, articles, papers, publications, conference packs and papers;

Records relating to memorials to those lost to HIV and AIDS and others who supported the cause, including photo albums and remembrance books, from THT, Body Positive and Landmark, also includes memorial books dedicated to Princess Diana and Princess Margaret, obituaries to various people who have died of AIDS, records relating to memorial events and projects including Candlelight Memorials and the NAMES Project, Quilts Project and World AIDS Day;

Records relating to THT fundraising efforts, activities and events ranging from Gala dinners, supper clubs, auctions and conferences, also includes fundraising records from organisations that later merged with THT such as CRUSAID;

Records relating to press and publicity, which ranges from press releases and articles produced by THT, Awards won by THT, press cuttings, and records relating to specific stories in the press either relating directly to THT, or generally related to HIV and AIDS internationally;

Ephemera produced by or collated by THT, includes leaflets; pamphlets; booklets; posters; press cuttings; flyers; postcards; condoms; badges; and lubricant sachets, also includes international ephemera arranged by country of origin including Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, South Africa, Portugal, Norway, Peru, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Malta, Mexico, Luxembourg, Korea, Uganda, Kenya, Jamaica, Italy, Israel, Thailand, Hong Kong, India, Hungary, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Canada, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Czechoslovakia / Czech Republic, France, Denmark, Greece, Germany, Éire (Ireland), Colombia, Costa Rica, Estonia, USA and various International Organisations;

Posters created by, or collated by THT, including THT posters; UK posters; and International posters, which includes files on posters from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cameroon, Canada, The Czech Republic / Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Éire (Ireland), Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Luxembourg, Mexico, Morocco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, and The USA;

THT photographic material including photographs, contact sheets, negatives and slides, divided into sub-series of Events and Fundraisers, Celebrities and Patrons, Memorials, Staff and Volunteers, Campaigns, Services and Outreach, Slides, and Nick Partridge Photographs; audiovisual material, including cassette tapes, CD-Roms, DVD-Roms, and VHS tapes; and various items and objects ranging from t-shirts, board games, plaques, and framed items. [1982-2023]

Extent:

140 boxes; 827 posters; 17 loose items; 1 oversized portfolio; 4249 jpgs; 19 audio files; 47 MP4 files