We are four of the Trustees at The Sussex Beacon (Richard Ma, Sonia Raffe, Ian Wilson and Mark Roche) and we are taking part in a relay team running the Brighton Half-Marathon.

The Sussex Beacon receives less than 1/3 of our funding from statutory sources and the rest comes from our own fundraising activities. The support of #TeamBeacon at the Brighton Half Marathon is vital in funding our work, supporting and caring for people living with HIV across Sussex.

This year we are fundraising for our Women and Families Group and Community Services. Although HIV treatment can lead to an undetectable viral load, there is a very small chance that the virus can be transmitted via breastfeeding of around 0.03%. We believe that the choice should be up to the mother/ breastfeeding parent and The Sussex Beacon aims to support and empower parents, whichever choice they make.

We work closely with the Lawson Unit’s Sunflower Clinic, to provide parents with holistic advice and free formula milk, or a medical-grade breast pump if they choose to breastfeed. A 6-month supply of formula milk can cost up to £250 and medical-grade pump costs around £47 per month. As this support is not available through the NHS, we provide a unique resource for new parents.

By raising £500, you could support a baby with free formula milk for 6 months. Each runner’s fundraising supports a mother/ breastfeeding parent living with HIV.