At the start of the October, we had our fabulous Drag Ball which raised an incredible £46k for George House Trust and our work supporting people living with HIV. The event even received national media coverage in Pink News! Keep your eyes peeled for information about Drag Ball 2026 coming soon!
October was also Black History Month and we were pleased to recognise the important contributions of people of the global majority to society and to celebrate the cultural diversity we have here at George House Trust. At the start of the month, we had a fantastic event organised by our African Men’s Engagement Coordinator, Jeff. The evening brought the whole community together for performances, panels, a fashion show, music and food to celebrate Black History month and recognise the experiences of people of the global majority living with HIV. Later, our Women’s Support and Activities Officer, Vicky, held an ‘Show Up and Glow Up’ for our women’s support group featuring dance, some gorgeous cupcakes, food and bingo.
At the end of the month, we screened the iconic black queer film ‘Looking for Langston’. The film stars Ben Ellison who passed away 21 years ago from HIV-related illnesses and who was supported by George House Trust. The event included an introduction by Jackie Stacey from the University of Manchester before the screening. Following the film, there was a discussion with Esther Campbell, Ben’s sister, and Ben’s friends: Coronation Street star, Shelley King, and Doctor Who star, Donna Croll.
For International Day of the Older Person, our team in Liverpool hosted an afternoon tea and cruise on the river Mersey for our ageing well group in Liverpool. Later in the month, our team in Manchester held an intergenerational banquet with The Proud Trust. Bringing together our ageing well members and young people from The Proud Trust’s youth groups, the event saw the exchange of skills, knowledge and experience across the generations, teaching cooking and joining together for a three-course meal.
Director of Delivery and Impact, Alex, and Vicky attended Parliament to discuss our formula milk project with MPs and policymakers. We also attended the Labour Party conference in Liverpool to talk to attending party members and MPs about our work and how the government can better support people living with HIV.
Alex and our Ageing Well project worker, Joanne, also attended the Cancer Care conference in Liverpool, utilising the opportunity to talk about better support for people living with both HIV and cancer, and our upcoming work on anal cancer for gay and bisexual men living with HIV.
Internally, our team has been undertaking Mental Health First Aid Training. We also recently came together for an all staff meeting as well as a Board development day as we develop George House Trust’s strategy for the future. | 
