More than £500,000 has been raised through the sale of T-shirts inspired by hit Channel 4 drama It’s A Sin.
The pieces, which have been worn by famous names including Sir Ian McKellen and Amanda Holden, feature the word La in reference to the catchphrase of the show’s main characters.
Written by Russell T Davies, It’s A Sin tells the story of a group of young friends living in London through the HIV/Aids crisis in the 1980s and its impact on the LGBT community.
Funds raised by the T-shirts, which were created by designer Philip Normal, will go to HIV and sexual health charity the Terrence Higgins Trust.
Normal, who is living with HIV, and the charity’s chief executive Ian Green were pictured by Tower Bridge in London alongside others who have bought the T-shirt.
Dermot O’Leary, Dr Ranj Singh, comedian Tom Allen and Terrence Higgins Trust patron Beverley Knight are also among the celebrities who have supported the project.
Actor Nathaniel Curtis, who plays Ash in It’s A Sin, has also shared a photo of himself in a La T-shirt.
The money will be used to fund a campaign featuring Normal and 12 others living with HIV that will challenge the stigma surrounding the virus by celebrating their achievements since being diagnosed, as well as for counselling and to develop training to make workplaces more HIV inclusive.
It’s A Sin writer Davies said: “I couldn’t be more proud of the fact that one of the many great legacies of this show has been to raise so much money for Terrence Higgins Trust.
“I would like to pay tribute to wonderful Philip Normal for making the most of the moment that It’s A Sin created and thank everyone who has bought a T-shirt to support efforts to tackle the stigma still surrounding HIV.”
Normal said: “This is just beyond my wildest dreams – I thought I’d only sell a couple of t-shirts.
“I’m so grateful to the cast and crew of It’s A Sin for creating this moment for us to talk about HIV in the UK and I want to thank everyone who has bought a t-shirt and helped us raise such a phenomenal amount of money for the Terrence Higgins Trust and their vital work to get us to no new HIV cases by 2030.”
Green, chief executive of the trust, said: “Congratulations to Philip Normal for hitting this amazing target.
“Everyone at Terrence Higgins Trust is so grateful to each and every person who has stepped up and bought a shirt to support our work.
“The money is helping to fund a new nationwide campaign to tackle HIV stigma because although much has changed since the days of It’s A Sin sadly the stigma around HIV is still all too present.”