Red Ribbons to Red Runs – show your support for World AIDS Day

Staff and students are being urged to support a series of events on campus this week to mark World AIDS Day on December 1.

The GCU letters have been covered in red ribbons in the Hamish Wood foyer with the message 'Please take a World AIDS Day Ribbon and wear it for December. Let's end the stigma. Show solidarity to people living with HIV/AIDS'.

As part of the #GCUWAD18 campaign the Students' Association, joined by Dr Jennifer MacDonald, a Research Fellow with the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Research Group at GCU, have made a fantastic video calling for an end to the stigma, silence and shame of HIV, and encouraging people to get tested.

Teams from the Terrence Higgins Trust and Waverley Care will be on hand to give staff and students support, advice and confidential HIV testing free of charge from the Caledonian Clinic at GCU's ARC on Wednesday and Thursday from 1-4pm.

The week of World AIDS Day events will culminate in the Red Run: Boot Camp 5km Fun Run, hosted by Glasgow FrontRunners, which kicks off at 11am on Sunday December 2 from the GCU ARC along Glasgow's Forth and Clyde Canal.

The challenge is suitable for all abilities and those who complete the challenge will get to face the best boot camp challenge of all, eating cake at the end!

All funds raised will go to the Terrence Higgins Trust.

GCU London is also hosting a number of World AIDS Day events including selling red ribbons from the Student Office and Library to help raise funds, urging students to get tested and launching a social media campaign.

GCU's Community Engagement Co-ordinator Susan Grant said: "A wide range of staff and student representatives from across the university and GCU London have come together to plan this year's World AIDS Day campaign. The campaign has been designed by students for students with input from Terrence Higgins Trust, Waverley Care and NHSGG Sandyford Clinic.  

"All the print and digital assets have been produced by GCU students on the Design for Change module to help raise awareness of HIV and the importance of prevention and knowing your status.

"We have HIV testing in the Caledonian Clinic ARC on Wednesday and Thursday from 1-4pm and information stands and red ribbons in the foyer of the Hamish Wood building which staff and students can wear as a show of solidarity with people living with HIV/AIDs to help end the stigma. The week concludes with The Frontrunners Red Run from the ARC and bake sale on Sunday which all staff and students are invited to be part of."