On the 20th May, as part of the Aberdeen Global Volunteering Day, we spent the day at Body & Soul creating a welcoming and adventurous environment for the charity's new Young Explorers - a group of 10-13 year olds who were being welcomed into the community for the first time. We made badges and bandanas, created signs and explorer maps, and painted a wall mural that would help portray their future adventures. During this time we saw the hugely positive impact the charity can have and the wonderful community they have established. When they told us they were looking for volunteers to run the British 10k London Run on 11th July on their behalf, the three of us immediately signed up, something at least one of us regrets doing now.

Body & Soul is a charity that promotes the respect, dignity and wellbeing of anyone living with or affected by living with someone with HIV. The charity provides a safe space and community that supports those who deal with the challenges that HIV sets before them. An HIV positive diagnosis is often surrounded by a certain stigma that can make someone affected feel incredibly isolated and alone. Poverty and mental illness are inextricably linked to an HIV diagnosis. The latest UK Stigma Index survey found that 1/5 people living with HIV had considered suicide in the past year. 

Body & Soul improves the well-being of these people by providing them with contact to others who are also affected by HIV, education around the disease and treatments available, and a weekly community dinner where everyone can turn up, interact and relax. 

We understand that a lot of these requests go round - so thank you for considering us, and we would appreciate any contribution at all for this really fantastic charity.

Thank you!!