Who we are:

George House Trust has a vision of a world where HIV holds no one back. Our purpose is to inspire people living with HIV to live healthy and confident lives. We are a passionate, inclusive and responsive charity. 

What are we looking for?

George House Trust turns 40 in 2025 and we want to tell the story of HIV and the associated activism, heroism, passion and loss. Community Archivist volunteers will help package and catalogue the archive held at George House Trust. The archive includes promotional and campaign materials, information resources, images, t-shirts, and logbooks. There is an also opportunity to undertake oral history interviews with key people involved in Greater Manchester’s HIV history.

What would you be doing as a volunteer?

Volunteers can help catalogue the archive and/or conduct and transcribe oral histories. We will discuss the areas of the role that interest you when we meet.

Cataloguing and Packaging the Archive:

• The Community Archivists will assist in the detailed cataloguing of George House Trust’s paper archives, including sorting, packaging, and labelling materials.
• They will ensure that all materials are stored in an organised manner that preserves their condition. Digitisation of certain materials will be required.
• They will package archival materials securely for transfer to Manchester Archives.

Transferring the archive to Manchester Archives:

• The Community Archivists will work with the Project Lead to transfer the George House Trust archive to Manchester Archives at Manchester Central Library. This will include lifting and carrying boxes of files into and out of a van.

Conducting Oral History Interviews:

• The Community Archivists will also have the opportunity to conduct oral history interviews with individuals involved in Greater Manchester’s HIV history, following ethical guidelines and best practice.
• They will ensure that interview recordings are of high quality and appropriately stored.
• Relevant training will be provided to prepare you for this task.

 Transcribing and summarising the interviews:

• The Community Archivists will transcribe the oral history interviews accurately and create summaries of the interviews, highlighting key themes and stories.