We're delighted to announce business leader Antonia Belcher OBE, the British Film Institute’s deputy CEO Ben Roberts and equality campaigner Delroy Corinaldi as the newest additions to our board of trustees.
They will play a key role in driving our work to end HIV transmission in the UK, enable people to live well with HIV and ensure good sexual health is a right and reality for all.
Antonia Belcher has over 40 years’ experience in the construction and property industries. She transitioned in a very male-dominated working environment almost 20 years ago, where there was no history or visible LGBT influences to draw on.
She has been recognised for the last five years as one of the OUTstanding/Financial Times top 100 LGBT business executives. Antonia is passionate about the charity’s board being representative of its service users and finding out more about why trans women are disproportionately affected by HIV.
As Deputy Chief Executive of the British Film Institute, Ben Roberts is responsible for National Lottery funding for film and has a wealth of experience in building strategic partnerships across the UK and communicating a compelling narrative to a range of audiences.
Ben was diagnosed with HIV in 2012 and found our charity an important source of support and information. He and his husband Chris have worked with the charity to promote the message that people living with HIV and on effective treatment, like Ben, can’t pass the virus on to their partners.
Delroy Corinaldi is an equality champion who has previously worked with MPs Diane Abbott and David Lammy. He has enjoyed senior roles at national charities including at Which? and StepChange Debt Charity.
He wants to normalise HIV testing across all communities and ensure that sex is no longer a taboo subject – including for his four children.
Jonathan McShane, Chair of Trustees at Terrence Higgins Trust, said: 'I'm delighted that Antonia, Ben and Delroy are joining our board of trustees. They will bring vital skills and experience to the board as well as helping ensure we have a board that better reflects the range of communities we support as a charity. This is hugely important as we work to achieve our strategic aims around HIV and wider sexual health in the UK.'
Antonia Belcher said: 'For my generation, HIV was so catastrophic and at the time I didn’t help. Now is my chance and I’m hugely motivated to do what I can to support Terrence Higgins Trust’s work. I know trans women are disproportionately affected by HIV, which is a statistic I would like to understand better and find out how to lower.'
Ben Roberts said: 'When I was diagnosed in 2012, my friends and family knew very little about living with HIV and Terrence Higgins Trust’s resources were a vital source of knowledge and reassurance. I believe it’s important for people like myself to be represented at board level – to be visible and reduce stigma around HIV – so I’m very proud to be able to support Terrence Higgins Trust as a trustee. I look forward to helping ensure its vital services and messages reach those who need them most.'
Delroy Corinaldi said: 'Times have changed since the height of stigma and discrimination in the 80s and 90s but there is still so much more to do. I look forward to listening and sharing learnings with Terrence Higgins Trust’s leadership team and trustees to deliver its ambitious strategy, including getting more people tested for HIV and to improve people’s sexual health.
'Eradicating the stigma and discrimination within and against diverse communities, ensuring people are not left behind and isolated are also major strategic challenges I hope to significantly help with.'
