HIVstory launches in style

Personal testimony

Last week we attended the launch of HIVstory, which took place at UCL on Thursday December 5.

It was such a thrill to see this project come to fruition, as our team of expert developers had worked in partnership with the HIVstory team to build their website from scratch, ensuring it ran smoothly, and delivering it on time, a few days after World Aids Day on December 1.

HIVstory is a groundbreaking outreach initiative created by The National HIV Story Trust, which houses the UK’s largest collection of filmed testimonies from individuals impacted by HIV and Aids.

Drawing from these powerful interviews, the project shares deeply personal accounts of love, life, and loss, capturing moments of both hardship and hope. Each story is uniquely individual yet interconnected, offering a chance to explore the shared threads of human experience and the historical tapestry they create.

This trailblazing project aims to illuminate the history of the Aids pandemic, fostering greater understanding and driving positive social change – especially among younger generations who are likely to be unfamiliar with this pivotal chapter in history.

Living with HIV and Aids

Through live and virtual events, HIVstory invites participants to engage with an often-overlooked part of the UK’s heritage. These events, ranging from film screenings to creative workshops, encourage dialogue and education about the ongoing realities of HIV, using the compelling medium of first-person storytelling.

The project also offers skill-building opportunities, including heritage sector apprenticeships for young people, while promoting community healing by bringing together those affected by the pandemic. By fostering support networks and celebrating resilience, HIVstory aims to uplift and inspire, ensuring this extraordinary history is remembered and its lessons shared.

“We were honoured to be invited to the launch, which was such a warm, inclusive, and welcoming occasion. Being part of significant projects like this is precisely why I founded Fat Beehive in the first place, as it’s both motivating and inspiring to partner with amazing organisations like NHST, who consistently do groundbreaking work. We’re always prepared to be flexible when it comes to budgets and proposals if it allows us to work with such innovative and unique organisations like NHST. Everyone at Fat Beehive feels an enormous sense of pride when projects like HIVstory come to fruition – we’re delighted to have played an important role in making this happen, and in the process helping to educate an entirely new generation about HIV and Aids.” Tom Moreton, Founder, Fat Beehive.

Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, along with partners like The London Archives, The Royal College of Nursing, Newcastle University, and University College London, HIVstory is a three-year initiative that promises to leave a lasting impact.

We’re immensely proud of the work we do with HIV/Aids charities, and are delighted that we were a key partner in bringing this necessary and informative project to life.

You can watch these compelling stories here