Future Plans

We are pleased that the Forum Link received widespread and public endorsement at the 2011 Conference of People Living with HIV event recently held in London.
We see this as strong evidence to build on the growing network of patient groups where the Forum Link is uniquely positioned as a central national contact point for clinic-based HIV individuals, groups and organisations.

There is excellent potential for expansion of Forum Link work throughout UK clinics and beyond (e.g. Europe) and our plan is to continue to increase Forum Link membership where we see an interest or are requested to help. The potential also exists for further capacity building within individual networks and patient groups as well as collaborating with other HIV and health-related organisations and consortia.

With our continually expanding expertise, we will maintain our ongoing training and support to these groups to ensure they have the full benefit of patient-centred voice through the use of the Internet.

We are currently concentrating on areas outside London and will also continue to forge links with other HIV advocacy groups and hard to reach groups that may not be clinic based. Recent outreach and development work has been with Mildmay UK in London, Sheema Youth Group in Sheffield, The George House Trust in Manchester and a new national patient group in Oslo.

The Forum Link also sees itself fortunate to have the potential to offer future employment and volunteering opportunities to skilled people within the HIV community.

As part of this natural evolution, the Forum Link has recently sought the expertise of professional skills to incorporate its work under the auspices of recognised charitable company status with the aim to operate as a legally constituted entity by early 2012.