On 4th July 1982 Terry Higgins died from AIDS; he was one of the first people to die from the disease in the UK . His friends were so appalled at the poor treatment he received during his illness they set up a charity to ensure greater support for others who were, or would become, affected by AIDS.

Initially the Terry Higgins Memorial Trust, then the Terrence Higgins Memorial Trust and now just the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), the organisation has grown to help tens of thousands of people in its 30 years of existence.