"I am delighted and honoured to support TheatreMAD’s 2009 World AIDS Day Appeal. It is vital that we all find out the facts about HIV. With a better understanding we will be better equipped to ensure that people living with HIV are fairly treated and with dignity and respect, and play our part in preventing the spread of HIV." Patrick Stewart

TheatreMAD would like to acknowledge and thank the companies and staff of the 40 West End and 26 Regional theatres whose support and commitment with the 2009 World AIDS Day Theatre Bucket Collections Appeal raised a stunning £131,616.35

Click Here to download the full results of the 2009 Appeal.

World AIDS Day falls on 1st December every year.

Twenty-one years ago, a summit of health ministers realised that a united global effort was required to halt the spread of HIV.  As a result, World AIDS Day emerged as the first international health day in December 1988.

The aim of World AIDS Day is to bring to people's attention the worldwide challenges and consequences of the epidemic and ultimately, preventing the spread of HIV and improving the lives of people living with the virus. Each year the campaign is an opportunity for organisations throughout the world to highlight the HIV pandemic in order to raise awareness and bring about change.

One of the most important things we can all do is to find out the facts about HIV. If we all have a good understanding of HIV we'll be better equipped to ensure that people living with HIV are treated fairly and with dignity and respect, and play our part in preventing the spread of HIV.

Each year UK theatres join together with their Broadway colleagues to carry out Theatre Bucket Collections to raise funds to help in the continuing fight against HIV and AIDS.

It’s important we remember to keep up the fight against HIV and AIDS because:
•    As Nelson Mandela said “HIV and AIDS is the greatest challenge facing mankind today”
•    Every 15 seconds, someone in the world dies of an AIDS-related illness
•    At the end of 2007, an estimated 33 million people were living with HIV
•    Over 7,000 people contracted HIV every day during 2007 – half of them aged 15 – 24.
•    There were nearly 8,000 new diagnoses of HIV in the UK in 2007
•    2 million people died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2007, including ¼ million children.
•    An estimated 73,000 people were living with HIV in the UK at the end of 2007
•    Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the worst affected region, with 22 million people
       living with HIV at the end of 2007
•    Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for over 60% of all HIV infections worldwide
*(source: avert.org)

Original Artwork Design by Christopher D. Clegg