Body Positive
1989
“Body Positive came out of AIDSline West Midlands, when they moved from Hurst Street to Smithfield House in Digbeth, Body Positive took over the room they had used at the Nightingale in 1987, on Thorp Street. I had attended occasionally before I moved here as I was down most weekends. The money became available, I became chair and we moved to George Street in the Jewellery Quarter. George Street was owned by a group of developers who specialised in restoring buildings to community use, it was beautifully kitted out, it was perfect, we had eight car parking spaces.”
“There were problems for me at Body Positive with certain people there, Rod Griffiths, my line manager at the Health Authority, had received an anonymous phone call saying it was inappropriate for me to be involved in a group like Body Positive due to my position as a commissioner. I had to resign from the group, I challenged the man I thought had made the call and he owned up and said he thought it was in the best interests of the group.”
Contributed by: Tom Matthews, 60