Martyn Butler OBE was a campaigner and co-founder of the Terrence Higgins Trust, the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity. His work helped transform the national response to HIV and AIDS at a time when it was poorly understood and surrounded by fear and stigma and often associated in public discourse with moral judgement rather than public health.

Born in Newport, Wales in 1954, Butler later moved to London where he became close friends with Terrence (Terry) Higgins. When Higgins died from an AIDS related illness in 1982, Butler, together with Terry’s partner Dr Rupert Whitaker and a small group of friends and volunteers, came together to ensure that others would not face the same isolation and lack of support. From that meeting emerged the Terrence Higgins Trust, which became the first UK charity dedicated to supporting people affected by HIV and AIDS.

In its early years the Trust played a vital role in providing information, support and advocacy at a time when public understanding was limited and prejudice was widespread. The organisation helped raise awareness, challenge stigma and push for a more compassionate and effective public health response.

Over the decades that followed, Martyn remained closely connected to the movement for HIV awareness and wider LGBTQ+ equality. In recognition of his services to charity and public health he was awarded an OBE in 2022.

Martyn died in 2026, leaving behind a legacy of compassion and determination. The Terrence Higgins Trust continues to build on the work he helped begin, supporting people living with HIV and campaigning for better sexual health and equality across the UK.