World AIDS Day 2022

Across Scotland, Waverley Care marked World AIDS Day with events, testing, and campaigning. Read on to find out what we got up to.

Yesterday, Thursday 1st December 2022, marked World AIDS Day – an opportunity to remember those we’ve lost to HIV/AIDS, and to raise awareness about the stigma that continues to surround the condition. Up and down the country our team were busy holding events, offering testing, and campaigning to mark the day. 

Events and Fundraising  

Across Scotland, we took over MAC Cosmetics. Since 2002, MAC has donated over £780,000 to Waverley Care from the sale of their VIVA GLAM lipsticks, and this year they went even bigger. 100% of the proceeds from any lipstick bought were donated to the VIVA Glam fund and, to entice people in, staff offered free drag make-up workshops and body painting demonstrations. Development Manager for Minority Ethnic Health Ese Johnson and Community Engagement Coordinator Margaret Lance joined the fun in Glasgow, and Fundraising Manager Matt Middler visited MAC’s team in Aberdeen. 

In Inverness, Health Improvement Coordinator Debbie Lees organised for the iconic Ness Bridge to be lit up red for World AIDS Day – in collaboration with NHS Highland Public Health and Highland Sexual Health – and in Edinburgh our fundraisers and volunteers braved the rain to collect donations in the city centre. 

Events also took place online. After visiting MAC, Ese held an online event for people from minority ethnic communities about the power of sharing your HIV story. Ese shared his personal story of living with HIV and had conversations with the attendees about HIV prevention methods. We also unveiled our digital Remembrance Tree in the morning, commemorating those we’ve lost to HIV/AIDS.  

Testing 

Having as many people as possible know their status is one of the most important means to reaching zero HIV transmissions by 2030. Our teams offered free, confidential HIV testing across Scotland to members of the public. In Edinburgh, our SX project set up in Waverley Market and Crew, while teams in the north of Scotland offered testing in Oban and Inverness. 

Policy and Campaigns 

Signings of the Paris Declaration on Fast-Track Cities took place in Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, with each of the councils committing to ending new HIV transmissions by 2030. Our Chief Executive Grant Sugden attended the signings of the Declaration in both Edinburgh and Glasgow.

He then visited the Parliament for a photocall with MSPs, where he was joined by Policy and Campaigns Officer Anna Cowan. After the photo session, both attended a debate in the Chamber to mark World AIDS Day. The debate is available to watch here.  

In the Media 

Our staff, peer mentors, and service users were featured on the radio and in several newspapers sharing their stories and raising awareness about HIV. You can read or listen to Waverley Care’s media appearances at: 

• Working towards a world without HIV – The Herald  
• Let’s end outdated stigma on HIV – The Sun, 30th November   
• Glasgow man tells how HIV 'saved him' on World Aids Day – The Glasgow Times 
• World Aids Day: Ending the stigma and transmission of HIV – The Scotsman 
• Policy & Campaigns Officer Anna Cowan and Peer Mentor Gary on BBC Radio Scotland 
• Chief Executive Grant Sugden on Heart, Capital, Smooth FM, and LBC Radio 

What now? 

World AIDS Day may be over, but we still need your support to make sure that no one in Scotland faces HIV alone. If you’re able, please donate here or text WAD to 70480 to donate £3. Texts cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message.