My Aunt Leigh recently passed away and in memory of her I am raising money for a cause that was very close to her heart.

Leigh was diagnosed with HIV in 1987. It was a time when little was known about the disease and there was a huge amount of stigma and discrimination.

Leigh decided to turn her life around and not only did she get clean from drugs but she stood on the front line in the HIV community with courage and bravery to empower women in the same situation.

She was one of the first staff  at Positively Women after the organisation secured funding and became a registered UK charity in the early 1990s.  As a Peer Support Worker, she helped other women living with HIV to cope with the many challenges they faced on a daily basis - going to their homes, to hospitals, to prisons, and through running support groups held at the PW office.  Leigh remained at PW for many years, providing support to hundreds of women in the UK. She also played an important role in the creation of the International Community of Women Living with  HIV – a global network  established in 1992. Through her work with ICW,  Leigh’s contribution, passion and energy benefited women all over the world