A mother diagnosed with HIV in her teens has credited an award winning charity for helping her come to terms with her illness.

Janet Arinaitwe, 30, from Wimbledon, has been working with charity Body & Soul for nine years after being diagnosed at the age of 19.

The charity supports children, teens and families affected by HIV by helping them talk about their condition.

Ms Arinaitwe said: "I thought it was a death sentence, but meeting the young people here inspired me and taught me that I could lead a healthy life.

"I decided to take part in the media training that Red Door Communications and Body and Soul offered so that I could try and break the stigma that’s associated around being HIV positive.

"If I’d seen more young faces talking about HIV when I was diagnosed, perhaps I would have been more able to accept my condition sooner."

The pioneering charity was awarded a Dragon award from the City of London in the Community Partners category at a ceremony at the Mansion House on October 3.

For more information visit bodyandsoulcharity.org