Zoom sessions to chat and learn about herpes are twice a month – Sundays are FREE – see dates below.

London-based events (in person) are on the first Saturday of the month. Plus other events, look down the page…

There was a Liverpool meeting – see below – in April 29th. At the last one seven of us chatted… We are planning one in Manchester on 1st August. Let us know if you are interested. We have also had meet-ups in the past in Birmingham, Bath, Glasgow and Edinburgh… Contact [email protected] to learn more how to have a meeting in your area.

See TABLE OF DATES below.

To register for the Zoom events, email us at [email protected] Write ‘virtual event’ and the date you want in the subject line . We will acknowledge and send you Zoom link prior to the event and answer any questions you may have. These events are open to everyone, you don’t have to be a subscriber. There is no obligation to speak or show your video during the call, but rest assured, it is confidential and others on the call will be in the same boat as you.

Zoom session testimonials:

“It was one of the few perks of the Covid situation for me. You moved the meetings to Zoom so I was able to join the support group online! It really was very useful and such a massive relief to finally meet other people in the same situation (other than the ex). I know such people exist, but meeting you makes a whole world of difference, you know?!”

“Don’t sit battling your feelings about herpes on your own, come and join our Zoom meeting and meet others, who have the same diagnosis, and chat and share your experiences or just listen. It’s not so scary, honest.”

“It’s given me a new confidence having met with lovely people from different backgrounds and different parts of the world who have the same condition as I have and are coping with it. We discuss our fears, feelings, symptoms and medication and how we have told partners. The HVA team are down to earth and honest and have put myths to rest. It’s helping me to feel normal… As we all are by the way. Oh, and we can also have a laugh as well.”

“I entered ‘how can I get herpes support?’ and yours was the listed third. I am so glad I’ve found you as you have really helped me get my head around it.”

TABLE OF EVENT DATES – All events are free unless a price is shown.

For online events, email [email protected] with the date(s) you want. We will send you a Zoom link beforehand.

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4 July, Saturday	📍 HSV Support – and chat – Drop-In Session (in person) Atrium Lounge, President Hotel, 56–60 Guilford St, Russell Sq, London WC1N 1DB – just come along and join us Donation appreciated	3pm–6pm
5 July, Sunday	💻 HSV Support: Online Chat (2 hours) FREE EVENT – Donation appreciated Register, or email [email protected] for the Zoom link	10am–12pm
7 July, Tuesday	💻 Get the Facts, Understand the Myths & Stigma (Expert Talk + Q&A) – £15 (2 hours) “The (psychological) cure is correct information!” Register https://> or email [email protected] for details	6:30pm–8:30pm
1 August, Saturday	📍 HSV Support – and chat – Drop-In Session (in person) Atrium Lounge, President Hotel, 56–60 Guilford St, Russell Sq, London WC1N 1DB – just come along and join us Donation appreciated	3pm–6pm
2 August, Sunday	💻 HSV Support: Online Chat (2 hours) FREE EVENT – Donation appreciated Register, or email [email protected] for the Zoom link	10am–12pm
16 August, Sunday	📍 London picnic – open to all. Chat. Drop by (in person) Come to our picnic on Sunday, August 16th in St James Park, London, from 2-5 pm and later if we are having a good time. Marian will put her upturned bike on the north side of the lake, west of the Blue Bridge. It will have a SPHERE sign in the spokes… What3Words: ///shows.hush.launch . Bring your nibbles and drinks – café and loos at nearby Marlborough Gate. Cancelled if raining! Donation appreciated	3pm–6pm

Meeting in person near Birmingham

On Saturday evening, 10^th October, between 6-8.30 pm, Marian Nicholson will host a chat in the lounge/bar of the Novotel at Birmingham Airport (Birmingham International station). She will put the yellow  SPHERE  sign on a table somewhere comfortable…  No need to book, but you can email Marian with any questions on [email protected]   . 

Don’t be shy – read more about these chats in the London section below.

Meetings in person in London

Next one: Saturday, 1st August, 5th September, etc. from 3 till 6 pm. Join us! We have found that we sit in this large space and can discuss ‘it’ without the lounge-bar staff or guests being aware we are a herpes support group. Most of the other customers are foreign tourists!

People come who are any age and from all walks of life, yet we all share this common experience. In addition to asking the host factual questions about herpes simplex — such as treatment, transmission, and talking to new partners — we can also share and compare on our own personal experiences.

To get to the President hotel, turn left out of Russell Square tube, take the first left into Herbrand Street, and the President is ahead. Inside, turn right to the Atrium. Marian (who has all the answers about herpes) or another trained volunteer will have yellow ‘SPHERE’ sign on the table.

Full address: 56-60 Guilford Street WC1N 1DB. Just walk-in and join us, no appointment necessary.

Expert talk “Learn to move on”

Once a month – mid-week. See dates on the table above.

We start with a one-hour presentation by a herpes expert. This PowerPoint will equip you with everything you need to know about the virus, with facts to make it easer to “talk to a new partner about herpes.” The second hour will be questions and answers, so you can ask about your own particular situation. It might be more beneficial that you can imagine to talk with others who understand…

Send an email to [email protected] – or just make the £15 “donation” on the https://herpes.org.uk/shop page. Put ‘expert talk‘ in the instruction box under the email address box.

Assurance Day – Saturday – next one July 25th

Our hugely popular in depth online course – on Zoom – on how to feel confident again, learn about herpes from the experts, defeat the stigma and talk to a partner with ease, equipped with the facts. This is for members.

Course duration – one day – on Zoom or hybrid in the London office too..
Cost: £40 for our subscribers. You have to subscribe before you can join this event. See https://herpes.org.uk/join.

Assurance Day timetable:

10:30-11:15 – Managing recurrences, treatment and why it is so common.

11:15-11:30 – Q&A with HVA director, Marian Nicholson.

11:45-12:45 – Knowledge is power: History of the herpes stigma with herpes expert Nigel Scott.

12:45 -1:30 – Lunch break.

1:30 – 2:30 – How to talk about it to a partner and how partners usually react (with Ruth and her new partner)

2.45 – 3.15 – Psychology – your attitudes, society’s attitudes and what you do about it.

3.30 – 4:00 – ‘When to? Where to? How to?

4:00 – 4:30 – Partner notification role play (optional).

5:00 – 5:30 – Open session and recap.

Assurance Day testimonial:

“I was obviously a bit nervous but the discussions we had on the Assurance Day I attended definitely helped – and in the end the conversation was much more simple that I expected.  In case you are interested, it went something like this (on a walk after dinner):

Me: So have you ever had any STDs?

Him: No, I haven’t, have you?

Me: Yes, I had chlamydia once. And now, sometimes I get herpes.

Him: Oh, well, I had that a few times I think on my lips, but ages ago. But I don’t know if it was herpes or a cold sore. 

Me: It’s the same thing. So I sometimes have that, just in a different place. I just have to avoid sex when I have it.

Him: Ah! Ok. (Pause) That was a weird way for you to break the silence!

And then we carried on as normal!”

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This page was last updated on 26-6-2026.