About GMFA, the gay men's health charity

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1. History
2. Mission
3. Principles and values
4. Volunteer leadership
5. Partnerships

History

GMFA was founded in 1992, by a group of gay men who felt that there was not enough HIV prevention work being specifically targeted at gay men.

Originally named Gay Men Fighting AIDS, GMFA’s initial remit was to campaign for more targeted HIV prevention work aimed at gay men, and to raise awareness of HIV amongst gay men.

From the beginning, GMFA used a model of community mobilisation and peer education. That is, rather than just producing health promotion aimed at gay men, GMFA wanted gay men to play a central role in the design and delivery of interventions. Many things about GMFA have changed, but retaining gay men at the heart of our organization and our work has not. Each year between 160 and 200 people actively volunteer for us, and our methods of developing projects and our policies are built around being a truly volunteer-led organisation.

In 2001 GMFA merged with the Black gay men’s group Big Up and in 2002, GMFA broadened its remit to include all health issues which disproportionately affect gay men over other populations. We changed our mission statement and 'Gay Men Fighting AIDS' became 'GMFA - the gay men's health charity'. Over the next few years we aim to develop non-HIV health interventions while maintaining our respected portfolio of HIV health promotion.

Our mission

Improving gay men’s health by increasing the control they have over their own lives.

Our mission is the guiding principle which governs all our work. We believe GMFA’s role is to provide gay men with accurate and credible information, and with the skills that enable them to make informed choices and exercise control over their own actions.

We do not attempt to make gay men lead healthier lives, nor do we attempt to construct an environment where the only options gay men have are those that support healthy life-styles. We do, naturally, want gay men to be healthy, but we recognise that, as adults, gay men have the right to make their own choices in life, and at times, will choose to do things which may not be good for their health.

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Principles and values

In addition to our mission, we also have a set of principles and values to which all our projects must conform. They are:

1. Interventions should be evidence-based.
2. HIV-prevention interventions must contribute towards the targets set out within Making It Count, the planning framework for HIV health promotion recommended by the Department of Health.
3. A project must not promote the health of one person over another.
4. Health promotion should empower people rather than reduce their choices.
5. Interventions should be of the greatest value to gay men within the resources available.
6. Services should be provided on an equitable rather than equal basis. Sub-populations of gay men have different levels of need and so our work should attempt to reduce health inequalities amongst gay men.
7. All people, regardless of their HIV status, are entitled to a satisfying sex life.
8. All people, regardless of their sexual behaviour, sexual identity or HIV status, are entitled to the same rights and respect as all other people.

Volunteer leadership

GMFA is a volunteer-led organisation. We use “Volunteer Leadership” to describe the method by which GMFA volunteers contribute to GMFA and participate in developing its interventions.

Volunteers lead the organisation both by being elected members of the Board of Directors and by contributing to projects as members of the groups who develop projects. All GMFA volunteers have the right to join any group within GMFA.

Click to download a copy of GMFA’s policy on Volunteer Leadership.

Partnerships

GMFA’s work is developed in partnership with other voluntary, statutory and research organisations. Currently the majority of our work is funded through the London Gay Men’s HIV Prevention Partnership, in which our partners are PACE, The Terrence Higgins Trust, Camden and Islington’s Gay Men’s team, Naz Project London, London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard, Sigma Research and commissioners from various London PCTs. Collaboration between these organisations ensures that gay men in London receive a comprehensive range of health promotion interventions, without wasting resources through the duplication of work. The partnership has been cited by the Department of Health as a model of good practice for others to follow.

Through the Community HIV and AIDS Prevention Strategy (CHAPS) we are also partnered with other sexual health organisations across ten cities in England. The CHAPS partnership aims at providing HIV prevention initiatives to reach gay men in those cities across England with the highest prevalence of HIV.

GMFA also has strong links with genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics throughout London. This enables us to distribute resources; receive expert advice on sexual health issues; and to ensure that the information we disseminate is accurate.

Our final partnership is with the gay commercial scene. GMFA would not be as successful as it is without the support and collaboration of more than a hundred pubs and clubs who raise funds and provide distribution points for our activities, as well as the gay magazines and internet sites that carry our ads.

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