HIV charity Medfash to close by the end of the year

Uncertainty over funding has been cited by the charity, founded by the British Medical Association in 1987; two jobs will be lost

The HIV and Aids charity Medfash will close at the end of the year because of uncertainty over funding, with the loss of two jobs.

The charity, which was founded by the British Medical Association in 1987, said in a statement today that funding had become increasingly unpredictable and had continued to decline.

It said operating in this way was unsustainable, so the board had decided that an orderly closure was the only responsible way forward.

The charity, which supports health professionals and policymakers in the area of HIV and sexual healthcare, had an income of £338,903 in 2015, which was almost £100,000 higher than in the previous year.

But its spending had outstripped its income in each of the past three years, according to figures on the Charity Commission’s website.

Cathy Hamlyn, chair of the charity, said: "I would like to pay special tribute to the staff, consultants, supporters and volunteers of Medfash over the years, and in particular our current chief executive.

"Ruth Lowbury has been a tremendous leader of the organisation, especially over recent years as ongoing funding has become increasingly difficult for the organisation to achieve."

Lowbury and one other full-time staff member will lose their jobs when the organisation closes at the end of the year.

The charity, which was originally founded as the British Medical Association Foundation for Aids, became Medfash, short for the Medical Foundation for HIV and Sexual Health, in 2002.

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