Meet the team and our supporters

Nick’s career has been focused on mass communication, firstly through television production, where he created content for most of the major broadcasters in the UK. As a brand consultant/storyteller he has helped brands as diverse as major pharmaceutical tech to traditional UK landed estates.

His passion is to make sure brands create narratives that drive interest and engagement, and believes passionately that the legacy stories of the NHST must not be forgotten but told and retold.

Paul Coleman is a BAFTA nominated TV Director and Producer.

Having himself lived through and survived the AIDS pandemic of the 80s and 90s, he was inspired by the incredible testimony of those who have taken this same journey, and the stories of those who were lost.

As Co-Founder of the NHST he is incredibly grateful to all those people who support the charity, and who have joined him in ensuring the testimony and history of those times can never be forgotten.

Professor Chloe Orkin is Professor of HIV Medicine at Queen Mary University of London and Consultant Physician at Barts Health NHS Trust where she has led the HIV clinical trials unit for the past 18 years. She has delivered more than 60 clinical trials of novel anti-viral agents to treat HIV, hepatitis C and SARS-CoV-2 thereby contributing to the licensing of 22 drugs. She is the global lead author for the first-ever long-acting injectable HIV therapy. Equity and justice are at the core of her academic and advocacy work. She directs the QMUL-based SHARE research collaborative for health equity. Chloe is Academic Lead for Equality Diversity and Inclusion at her medical school. Chloe is the 80th President of the Medical Women’s Federation (MWF), an organisation which has represented the views of medical women in the UK on medical issues for the past 105 years. The organisation was closely aligned to suffrage has a proud history of effective advocacy on gender issues.  She has recently recorded an MWF Podcast on leadership. Chloe co-Chairs HIV Glasgow, one of the largest international conferences covering HIV and SARS CoV-2. She is immediate past Chair of the British HIV Association and a member of the governing council for the International AIDS Society.

Having been a clinician in HIV for the last twenty years I know how vital these stories are . Hearing them and preserving them is a vital part of the history of the HIV pandemic and of the LGBTQ+ history in the UK

David spent 30 years as an investment banker in the City of London, following which he joined the board of an international strategic consultancy focussed on political and economic development. Supporting Stonewall, THT, St Mungo’s, ProstateCancer UK and Oriel College Oxford, David is an active philanthropist focussed on LGBT+ and equality issues.

Growing up in the socially very conservative Scotland of the 1970s, David developed a strong interest in public policy and equality issues.

Already outraged by the legislative inequality and societal prejudice affecting the LGBT+ community, the HIV/AIDS pandemic politicised David further. In the deeply homophobic City of the time, he successfully advocated for equality and acceptance in all his professional roles and achieved significant advances.

Flick Thorley was born in New Zealand, and trained there as a nurse in the mid-1980s.

She came to the UK in 1989, and began working as a psychiatric nurse at University College Hospital (UCH) in London. She then worked as a Charge Nurse on the Residential Unit at London Lighthouse until it closed in 1998. Following the closure of the ‘Res Unit’, she was the HIV Psychiatric Liaison Nurse at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, until she was medically retired in 2011.

Some notable achievements whilst she worked at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital were identifying the need for and being instrumental in setting up a club drugs clinic as a result of the Crystal Meth problem, and being seconded to Botswana in 2002 with her partner Professor Chloe Orkin to set up an HIV antiretroviral programme.

Since retiring, she volunteers with her dogs, offering pet therapy in hospices and hospitals.

Ian has more than 25 years’ experience of high profile leadership roles in the voluntary, health, local government, housing, and social care sectors, in both executive and non-executive roles. Involved in YMCA for over 25 years, including as Chief Executive of YMCA England, he was on the executive staff team of the World Alliance of YMCAs located in Geneva.  From 2016 – 2023 he was CEO of Terrence Higgins Trust, the UKs leading HIV and sexual health charity

For over 20 years Ian held a number of positions of public office in the London Borough of Ealing: as an elected member of the council; Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services and Housing; and as Mayor. He has also held a number of non-executive roles in the NHS.

For five years Ian was Chair of Ealing Hospital NHS Trust and is currently Chair of Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust.

He was diagnosed with HIV in 1996 and is married to his husband Paul.

Dr. Rupert Whitaker OBE is a Founder and Patron of the Terrence Higgins Trust, named after his then-partner who died of AIDS in 1982, and is one of Britain’s longest-living people with HIV. He is a consultant in psychiatry and medical science, chairman of the Tuke Institute CIC, and has worked internationally, lecturing in medicine and patient-advocacy and as an expert medical witness in psychiatry and public health. He was conferred an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of London in 2021 and an OBE in 2022.

Erica Pienaar has had a long career in education and was appointed a Dame for her services to education in the 2014 Queen’s birthday honours list.

Until her retirement in September 2013, she was Executive Head Teacher of the Leathersellers’ Federation of Schools. The Federation was established in September 2008 in Lewisham and comprises three schools: Prendergast-Hilly Fields College, Prendergast-Ladywell Fields College and Prendergast-Vale College. The federation is led by a single governing body.

She began her career as a Science Teacher in 1973 and taught for 41 years in South East London. She was the Head Teacher of Prendergast School (Hilly Fields) from 1998 to 2008.

She continues to work with schools in Bromley and Southwark as a governor.

Julian Ingle brings the heritage and training of journalism and documentary filmmaking. After 9 years with the BBC, latterly as Senior Producer for BBC Breakfast news, he was one of the early leaders of Al Jazeera English and was Executive Producer of its biggest budget, most renowned and global flagship news program. He’s lived in London, Doha, Washington DC and New York. Julian is an expert in successful content creation that is attractive and fit-for-purpose for documentary style story telling.

Kevin has 15 years working in the City on various change and delivery projects for financial infrastructure firms. He previously worked as a Management Consultant and has a strong background in taking a project from concept to completion. Kevin has been involved in various charities over the past 20 years supporting HIV, LGBT rights, Mental Health Awareness, and Cancer support.

Nick’s career has been focused on mass communication, firstly through television production, where he created content for most of the major broadcasters in the UK. As a brand consultant/storyteller he has helped brands as diverse as major pharmaceutical tech to traditional UK landed estates.

His passion is to make sure brands create narratives that drive interest and engagement, and believes passionately that the legacy stories of the NHST must not be forgotten but told and retold.

Paul Coleman is a BAFTA nominated TV Director and Producer.

Having himself lived through and survived the AIDS pandemic of the 80s and 90s, he was inspired by the incredible testimony of those who have taken this same journey, and the stories of those who were lost.

As Co-Founder of the NHST he is incredibly grateful to all those people who support the charity, and who have joined him in ensuring the testimony and history of those times can never be forgotten.

George is a financial professional with experience at charities including Battersea Dogs Home and Prostrate Cancer UK. He is a former head of strategy for St John’s Ambulance.

Jan Pimblett is the former Principal Development Officer at London Metropolitan Archives (LMA), with responsibility for LGBTQ+ community history projects. Jan has been working with LGBTQ+ communities and historical archives for nearly 20 years, helping to make LMA one of the main centres for LGBTQ+ history in the UK.

As a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts Jan is a member of the LGBTQ+ special interest forum. She continues to work with a number of organisations including Queer Britain, which is working on a proposed LGBTQ+ Museum.

Abel supports the NHST’s media, outreach, and branding-related operations.

His experience as a comms professional includes providing strategic counsel to international corporations and third-sector clients. Previously, Abel led the office of a backbench Member of Parliament, who has campaigned in the Commons to improve access to PrEP.

Chris Jarvis has worked in the entertainment industry for thirty years writing and performing on stage, radio and television. He’s currently to be found on CBeebies with Pui Fan Lee in ‘Show Me Show Me’ and ‘Stargazing’, he has also devised programmes for children including the storytelling show ‘Old Jack’s Boat’ starring Bernard Cribbins. Every year he writes, directs and appears in pantomime.

Claire supports the NHST with content and communications strategy and implementation.

While working on her Gender, Sexuality & Culture MA dissertation about the cultural memory of AIDS in Britain, she discovered the NHST film archive at the LMA and used it extensively as a resource.

Claire’s background is brand marketing and business strategy. Her CV includes time as a music publicist, leading marketing campaigns for well-known consumer brands, senior in-house roles at Red Bull, and now as an advisor for scaling businesses.

Ed has over 15 years of experience working as a Management Consultant in the City.  He is passionate about preserving the stories of people who have lived through the HIV crisis. He previously volunteered on the helpline at Terrence Higgins Trust as well as several other LGBT charities in the UK.

Erica Pienaar has had a long career in education and was appointed a Dame for her services to education in the 2014 Queen’s birthday honours list.

Until her retirement in September 2013, she was Executive Head Teacher of the Leathersellers’ Federation of Schools. The Federation was established in September 2008 in Lewisham and comprises three schools: Prendergast-Hilly Fields College, Prendergast-Ladywell Fields College and Prendergast-Vale College. The federation is led by a single governing body.

She began her career as a Science Teacher in 1973 and taught for 41 years in South East London. She was the Head Teacher of Prendergast School (Hilly Fields) from 1998 to 2008.

She continues to work with schools in Bromley and Southwark as a governor.

Kevin has 15 years working in the City on various change and delivery projects for financial infrastructure firms. He previously worked as a Management Consultant and has a strong background in taking a project from concept to completion. Kevin has been involved in various charities over the past 20 years supporting HIV, LGBT rights, Mental Health Awareness, and Cancer support.

James worked in investment banking and private equity before moving on to manage equity, debt and property investments. In addition to the National HIV Story Trust, James volunteers at two other HIV charities: since 2011 he has held a variety of roles at Terrence Higgins Trust and currently works on the helpline, and since 2016 James has volunteered at Positive East, where he currently runs a sexual health clinic in East London.

Jan Pimblett is the former Principal Development Officer at London Metropolitan Archives (LMA), with responsibility for LGBTQ+ community history projects. Jan has been working with LGBTQ+ communities and historical archives for nearly 20 years, helping to make LMA one of the main centres for LGBTQ+ history in the UK.

As a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts Jan is a member of the LGBTQ+ special interest forum. She continues to work with a number of organisations including Queer Britain, which is working on a proposed LGBTQ+ Museum.

Josh is Founder and Managing Director of Regency Creative – a boutique web design and branding agency in London. He has worked as a brand and digital media strategist for over 11 years. His passion has driven him to work alongside both small local start-ups and multinational brands such as BP, Dyson and Dropbox.

As a keen advocate of CSR Josh is always seeking new ways to help raise awareness of equality issues through brand reputation and currently works closely with Stonewall, Metro and Heart of the City Westminster.

Julian Ingle brings the heritage and training of journalism and documentary filmmaking. After 9 years with the BBC, latterly as Senior Producer for BBC Breakfast news, he was one of the early leaders of Al Jazeera English and was Executive Producer of its biggest budget, most renowned and global flagship news program. He’s lived in London, Doha, Washington DC and New York. Julian is an expert in successful content creation that is attractive and fit-for-purpose for documentary style story telling.

Lee is a strategic Above-The-Line and digital paid media specialist with over 10 years’ experience working across global market leading brands such as The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Bacardi, Lindt & Sprungli, NSPCC and currently in-house at Just Eat Takeaway.com. He’s worked at the top London media agencies and in-house marketing teams by managing small to multi-million pound budget campaigns. Lee is dedicated to creating innovative and data driven solution campaigns, and is looking forward to launching NHST’s paid advertising platform.

Vanessa is currently Events Coordinator for the Institute of Voluntary Action Research (IVAR) which helps organisations which are campaigning for social change. Prior to this she managed BBC community engagement campaigns, such as WW2 People’s War– an oral history project which became an online archive of World War Two experience,The Big Read to find the UK’s best loved books and Breathing Places to create more spaces for nature. Recently she coordinated Reading Oasis, a literacy campaign for the charity United Way UK which places library resources into primary schools.

Vanessa is offering both her event management skills and experience of working on oral history projects to help NHST continue to tell these invaluable stories.