St Albans HIV charity The Crescent closes after 35 years due to funds

A voluntary HIV support organisation will close after 35 years due to a lack of funding.

The Crescent in St Albans, Hertfordshire, was founded on the first World Aids Day in 1988.

It provided drop-in sessions, education and prevention services as well as emotional support and counselling.

Chief executive officer, Iain Murtagh, said that despite “working unpaid for many years, I can do no more”.

The Crescent, which was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS) in 2016, had been wholly funded by public donations since 2011, when Hertfordshire County Council withdrew its grant.

It owned the building it occupied in Russell Avenue but funding got so low that even paying the bills became a struggle.

It is now in the process of selling the premises but all the proceeds will go to the Department of Health as it advanced the money for the purchase of the site in the first place.

Mr Murtagh said all services stopped at the end of March and only inquiries from its existing membership of about 300 people, would be dealt with.

During the pandemic its fundraising efforts ceased but he said: “If it hadn’t been for the generosity of the people of St Albans we would not have got this far”.

Mr Murtagh even sold his own house to try to keep the charity going.

“We have been providing support and care for those living with or affected by HIV since the first World Aids Day in 1988,” he said.

“We were the only independent HIV testing service across three counties for almost as long too, something we need more of, not less.

“We also pioneered home testing for all, not just supposed ‘at risk’ groups. So it is with great regret that we are closing, there is so much to be done.”

The charity had been supported by the Bishop of St Albans, who nominated it for the QAVS, and actor John Sessions who campaigned to keep it going.