By Community Correspondent Roshini Fernando.

West London’s longest and largest established LGBT charity will be participating in the “Walk for Life” on Sunday 6th June, in support of the HIV/AIDS organisations Crusaid. OutWest, located in Isleworth, will begin and finish the walk at Potters Field Park along with hundreds more supporting the event.

OutWest is run entirely by volunteers and relies on small grants from local authorities and other public bodies in order to operate. The charity is represented in the London boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames.

This year Crusaid celebrates its 21st Birthday as a leading charity helping people globally who are affected by the HIV/AIDS virus, through various projects such as soup kitchens in Africa, to medical centres in Israel, as well as grant schemes in the UK. In 2009, in the UK, four times as many people are estimated to have died from AIDS related illnesses than from Swine Flu. The “Walk for Life” is one of Europe’s largest fundraising walk for HIV/AIDS and last year raised £325,000 with over 2300 people involved.

OutWest hopes that the event will not only raise funds, through sponsorship, but also raise awareness for this illness. Chris Boucher, co-chair of OutWest, said “Many people still see HIV/AIDS as a ‘gay’ illness and do not understand the devastating effects the virus has on many people and their families, straight people are just as much at risk as the gay community, especially those who share needles for drug use. This is a world pandemic and needs to be recognised as such.”

So far OutWest have collectively raised £2200.40. To support or learn more about OutWest and Crusaid, you can visit www.OutWest.org.uk and www.crusaid.org.uk or www.walkforlife.co.uk.