UK Coalition of People Living with HIV and AIDS

The UK Coalition of People Living with HIV and AIDS (UKC) was a UK based charity. Owing to insolvency, it ceased operations at 5pm on Friday 25th July 2007 and is now in the process of being wound up.

UKC was established in 1993, and was a charity run by and for people living with HIV. UKC started life as an advocacy organization fighting for the rights of people living with HIV and encouraging them to speak for themselves.

Its mission was to “to ensure the diverse voices of people living with HIV and AIDS are heard.”

It supported people living with HIV with advice services, and ran an employability programme called Ensuring Positive Futures which aimed to support people living with HIV in the workplace.

It also published the Positive Nation magazine, which was the UK's HIV and sexual health magazine and had an annual readership of approximately 60,000 when its closure was announced on 15th May 2007.

UKC worked closely with HIV organisations across the EU in developing European policies and programmes.

UKC also had close links with HIV organisations in Uganda, South Africa and Zambia.

Its structure of HIV positive people supporting and empowering other HIV positive people was seen by the UN and the International Labour Organisation as a useful model for HIV organisations in the developing world.

The UKC closed down in July 2007 following the ending of the EU's EPF programme. The UKC's office in Kentish town (known as Oasis North London) was also closed down at the same time.