Lunch Positive is a valued community based HIV charity that provides a wide range of well-used services. These include the weekly Friday HIV Lunch Club and Tuesday support Drop-In, befriending and buddying scheme, wellbeing projects, specialised help from an HIV support worker, advice and information sharing, food bank and home outreach, and projects across Sussex. Our work addresses many serious challenges in life, including social isolation and loneliness, homelessness, poor health food poverty and financial disadvantage. Services are provided by an amazing team of volunteers, recently awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. The charity provides the largest regular group support for people living with HIV locally, along with 1-1 and smaller group support for people who benefit from this. People using Lunch Positive describe it as a lifeline that has changed their life.

The charity is supporting growing numbers of people, and more than ever needs help from the community to raise funds.

In the words of one of our service users, Simon:

“When I joined Lunch Positive I was at the very depths of life. I had tried to kill myself and was still getting the care of a psychiatrist. I had given up on life and had no interest in taking my HIV meds. The accommodation I was in was so poor, I know it sounds daft but just a simple thing like not ever being able to shower myself in order to be clean and having no heating sometimes got me so depressed and feeling ashamed, I couldn’t sleep and then I slept all day. Coming to Lunch Positive where I know I’m accepted and wanted, makes all the difference. I can’t thank everyone enough for the kindness and friendship people have shown. The company, food, advice and help from the support worker getting my housing sorted was life-saving. Slowly, I’m putting life back together again and I couldn’t have done it without you. “