Saving Lives is extremely proud to announce that Dr Mags Portman will be joining the charity in the role of Patron.
Dr Portman joins Professor Jane Anderson, Professor Brian Gazzard, Baron Philip Hunt of Kings Heath and Dr Ed Wilkins on our board of patrons. Her role will be to offer expert advice, guidance and advocacy within and beyond the HIV community.
Mags brings years of clinical experience and health promotion expertise to Saving Lives. In particular, on stigma and on PrEP, we have been as impressed as everyone else in the HIV community by her tenacity, good humour and accessibility. Few advocates for people living with HIV, their rights and the quality of their care have been as eloquent – but also as modest – as Mags has been.
In other words, we share with Mags a commitment not just to improving the lives of those living with HIV, and reducing the spread of the virus, but to doing so in fresh, open and contemporary ways. We sincerely believe that there is no one better to represent the values and vision of our charity than our newest patron.
We’re especially excited to announce this new appointment on International Women’s Day. Women have a crucial role to play in fighting HIV, and Mags is a strong, forthright indefatigable example of how to make a real difference.
We’re excited to have Mags onboard – and offer our thanks to her for agreeing to be a patron of Saving Lives. We’re looking forward to achieving a lot together.
