Prince Harry Supports Hammersmith Sexual Health Charity NAZ

---

By visiting their event the nOscars at Fulham's Hurlingham Club

Prince Harry has given his support to local sexual health charity NAZ at an event at Fulham's Hurlingham  Club.

The charity, based at Blacks Road in Hammersmith was hosting the nOscars, an awards ceremony highlighting the programmes, people and media making a difference in BAME communities, to challenge HIV and homophobic stigma.

The 32 year-old Prince, causing much press speculation by sporting the beaded bracelet that almost matches the one worn by girlfriend Meghan Markle, posed for pictures with members of Joyful Noise, a choir made up of people living with HIV which was later described on Kensington Place's twitter feed @KensingtonRoyal as "an inclusive and inspirational collective".

Harry then listened to a rehearsal by the choir, joining in and singing along to a medley of reggae songs including some Bob Marley classics.

Later he went on stage afterwards to chat to the singers and told them: "I don’t want to be here in ten years talking to you guys and saying we’re making a difference. There’s no reason why we can’t turn this around in two or three years.

" Not talking about something can actually kill you. People are happy to talk about their youngest child having cancer, that might even kill them, but the other child who has HIV, they don’t talk about that.

" Thirty years ago it was pretty much a death sentence but so many people have put blood, sweat and tears into essentially fixing the problem."

Afterwards Marion Wadibia, chief executive of Naz, said: "The part of the visit that cannot be removed from memory is prior to Prince Harry meeting the choir. Four people were willing to go on camera, by the time he finished talking there were about eight or ten people around him.

"And that the weight of his presence challenging stigma, standing side by side with people living with HIV, really resonated and I think the choir felt he was very genuine and encouraging.

"And I'm thinking if in three or four minutes he can move four people to 10 to 12 people, with a concerted effort over the next two years we should really be challenging HIV stigma in a way that's not happened before."

Before leaving Harry had an Aids ribbon pinned to his shirt by choir singer Charity Nyirenda, who made the brooch specially for him.

NAZ is based at 30 Blacks Road, W6. You can find out more about their work here.

November 17, 2016