• Mortgages and HIV
• Life Assurance and HIV
• Funeral Plan

  ---

• Give us your feedback!
• Privacy Policy

• Home
• Covering HIV & other medical conditions
• Details of cover and policy wording
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Travelling to the USA? The legalities
• If you live in an EU country (other than the UK)
• Emergency numbers

• Friendship & Dating - make new friends or a partner. Specifically designed for anyone HIV+
• Countries' Immigration/Residency rules
• Travel news and blogs
• FREE language guides
• HIV charities we support - please join us
• Company Info & Contact
• Subscribe to our feed for the latest information from us
• Click here to find out about RSS
  

The change in the perceived priority of HIV in the UK over the past few years has meant that many worthwhile projects struggle even harder for the funds to survive. Some have not succeeded and have closed.

In other countries, the effects of HIV remains, literally, devastating. Children are left orphaned and families become even poorer.

Although my company is far from the size of the AXAs and Norwich Unions of the world, I like to support HIV projects when I can. I'd like to encourage you to, also. These are the projects I'm currently supporting:

There is an epidemic of AIDS engulfing much of Africa, especially sub-Saharan Africa. In some African countries it is estimated that 40% of the working-age population has contracted HIV, with younger and more successful workers being most likely to be affected. However, this is never uniform across a population; 40% of a whole African country will mean there are areas where virtually everyone has contracted HIV/AIDS. The worst affected countries include Swaziland, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Lesotho. In places like these, village after village has no young adults left. The scale of the problem is overwhelming.

SOS Children has grassroots projects in most countries in Africa. Last year, SOS Children supported 53,000 more AIDS orphans in their old family home, visiting with practical help, food and medicine.

SOS Children, as the world's largest orphan charity, sets its priorities as follows.

There are six key priorities for our HIV/AIDS-related work, which are:

1. Awareness and prevention to be carried out through all SOS locations, including schools and training centres. By fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS, SOS Children strives to prevent children from losing their parents to AIDS in the first place. We advocate for de-stigmatisation and non-discrimination.

2. Voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) to be offered through our SOS medical and social centres. For those parents who are living with HIV/AIDS, VCT opens the possibility to early interventions that can prolong and improve the quality of their life.

3. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of AIDS to be promoted by our medical and social centres, through medical treatment and/or advice on safe infant feeding practices. Through this, the number of children living with HIV/AIDS can be minimised.

4. Support for orphan households and households where children are living with terminally-ill parents. Families are supported to improve their ability to protect and care for their children. In this way, we enable orphans and vulnerable children to stay within a caring family environment and their community of origin.

5. Provision of anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment to parents who have children living with them. Where parents receive such medical treatment, they are likely to live longer and have a higher quality of life. This means that their children are also likely to have a better quality of life and to grow-up in a family without becoming an orphan.

6. Long-term family-based care is provided through our SOS children’s villages and other long-term family-based care programmes for those children who have already lost the care of their family and who require such long-term care.

Please join with us in supporting SOS Children's Villages AIDS Orphans in Africa project:

Click here to go to SOS Childrens' Villages AIDS Orphans in Africa web site

Tyddyn Bach now the only social respite entre for those affected by HIV in England and Wales offering year supported residential breaks to singles, couples families or carers

The atmosphere at Tyddyn Bach is non-medical, priding itself on its warmth and homeliness.  Being a place that you can be yourself you are encouraged to relax, rest and recharge your batteries at your own pace; leaving with a new found determination and positive focus.

As a charity funded entirely by private donation your support is priceless.

Please join with us in supporting the Tyddyn Bach Trust:

Click here to go to the Tyddyn Bach Trust web site

Starfish Greathearts Foundation is an international development charity, aiming to bring life, hope and opportunity to children in southern Africa who have been orphaned or made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS.  We believe that everyone can make a very real difference to the lives of these children. 

Orphaned and vulnerable children lack the basics we take for granted: food, safe shelter and clothing. There are currently 1.9 million orphans in South Africa and 21% of children have lost either one or both parents. Starfish Charity supports these children.

Please join with us in supporting the Starfish Charity:

Click here to go to the Starfish Charity web site

The volunteers provide information, support, refreshment services and a listening ear to HIV patients, their friends and relatives in order to contribute to a more comfortable and relaxing environment and to help improve patients experience during visits to the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. This includes:

• Preparing drinks and snacks for patients at the refreshment bar in the outpatients clinic and providing afternoon tea on the ward
• Shopping for patients on the ward
• Collecting prescriptions for the patients
• Keeping patients company, chatting with them and most importantly listening to them, their partners, relatives and friends
• Providing information for patients on HIV and related issues
• Operating a discounted vitamin scheme
• Help maintain the day to day running of the office
• Offering administrative support to the St Stephen’s Volunteers

Please join with us in supporting the St Stephen's Volunteers:

Click here to visit the St Stephen's Volunteers web site