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Our history

Supporting people with HIV since 1985

We have been serving Berkshire’s HIV positive community for over 30 years. Significant advances in the treatment of HIV means that what we do today is very different to what we did in the 1980s but the experience we have gained over the years very much informs our current work. Formed from a merger between several HIV and AIDS related charities, our history and our roots are important to making us who we are today. Here is a brief summary of where we’ve come from and what we’ve done over the years to support our community.

1980s:

The AIDS Support Group is established for people living in the Slough/Windsor area.

Reading Area AIDS Support (RAAS) is formed by a group of people living in the area, providing an AIDSLINE telephone help line, hardship funding and a Buddy support service.

Reading Body Positive is officially launched by RAAS by two volunteers, with four HIV positive clients, later changing its name to Thames Valley Body Positive (TVBP).

1990s:

The Thames Valley AIDS Network (TVAN) is officially launched. TVBP sets up its first educational training for local statutory and voluntary agencies, focusing on what is like to live with HIV.

TVBP establishes a hardship fund and moves to what is now known as the Burnham Support Centre.

Members of TVAN merge to create a new organisation, Thames Valley Positive Support (TVPS), becoming the first Body Positive and AIDS Service provider in the UK

2000s:

TVPS consolidates and focuses on post-diagnosis support

An increase in clients needing support results in a drive to increase the volunteer team

Lottery funding is secured which helps to increase our staff team and enables us to open a new drop in centre in Reading to complement our existing centre in Slough.

TVPS move into new larger premises in Reading and extend our opening hours and range of services to cater for our growing client base.

2010s:

TVPS secure two big sources of funding, one from Children in Need to recruit a Youth Worker, and one from Comic Relief to recruit an Older Persons Worker.

We are awarded the Queens Award for Voluntary Service in 2013

TVPS introduce free HIV Testing in 2014

We are shortlisted for the National Sexual Health Charity Awards in 2015

Sarah Macadam, our CEO, is shortlisted in the Sue Ryder Women of Achievement Awards in 2016

Our 750th HIV test takes place in 2018