Martyn Butler obituary

"It was the death in July that year of his friend, Terry Higgins one of the first named people to die of an Aids-related illness in the UK that spurred Martyn, along with Terry's partner, Rupert Whitaker, to act. Martyn, who has died aged 71, and Rupert launched the trust with the help of friends to raise money for medical research, but the sums required were huge and would have to be provided by governments and the pharmaceutical industry."

"It was clear that the trust had to educate the community with what little information was then available; give care and support to people living with Aids by providing a buddy service; push for appropriate care from the NHS; and prepare for extra pressure on hospices. Some lessons were learned from the New York experience, where the illness then called Gay Related Immune Deficiency had been identified in 1981."

"Other lessons were learned from Martyn and Rupert's experience of supporting Terry, when, for example, doctors refused to give information to Rupert because he was not family. The lesbian and gay community supported the new trust. There were more than 100 gay venues in London in those days, and they raised hundreds of thousands of pounds."

In 1982, Martyn Butler and Rupert Whitaker founded the Terrence Higgins Trust following the death of Terry Higgins, one of the first named AIDS victims in the UK. Initially focused on fundraising for medical research, the organization evolved into a community response addressing the urgent need for education and support. A 1983 conference at Conway Hall in London brought together leaders from the gay community, the London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard, and the Gay Medical Association to coordinate efforts. The trust established key priorities: educating the community with available information, providing buddy services and care support, advocating for NHS involvement, and preparing hospice resources. Drawing lessons from New York's Gay Men's Health Crisis and personal experiences with discrimination, the organization mobilized London's gay venues to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Read at www.theguardian.com