Tom runs 10k for beyondpositive

Oh Hey! 

So here's the thing. There are 107,000 HIV+ people in the UK, but 26,000 of those don't know that they have HIV. 

Unfortunately we also have this thing called stigma. Stigma. The dictionary defines stigma as:

"a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person."

Stigma is bourne out of fear, and this fear is due to a lack of understanding or education - and you can see how that might become a vicious cycle.

So how can we tackle HIV related stigma?

By talking about HIV and raising awareness -and that is why I set up beyondpositive .

beyondpostitive  is a community organisation that I set up in 2013 to give Positive people a voice. We have people from all walks of life sharing their experience with HIV, as well as advice from experts on sexual health, nurtrition and medication. 

beyondpositive  also hosts a number of social events that help bring the Positive community together in a way that creates lasting friendships and at the same times raises awareness of HIV.

But beyondpositive  receives no statutory funding, and relies entirely on my personal finances and the kind donations of others. 

This year I've decided to take part in the Great Birmingham 10K, on Sunday 3rd May 2015, to raise money for beyondpositive . My first EVER race.

This is a BIG deal for me. I was never any good at sports as a kid and in fact was bullied for being gay and my lack of sporting prowess at school. This led to me skipping PE all together.

It wasn't until recently when I joined the Birmigham Swifts LGBT Running Group  that I discovered my love for running.

So I'm going to combine my love of running and my passion for beyondpositive  to raise much needed funds for the organisation.

Your donation can help us build friendships, raise awareness and tackle stigma.

Thank you.

Tom Hayes
founder
beyondpositive