About

Maurice Greenham is an HIV and LGBT Activist. He was diagnosed with HIV in 1984. He developed  AIDS in 1994…when he was given six months to live. Refusing to give up…he returned to education as a means of addressing memory and mental health issues. Now in his 80s, he has two Honours degrees, can speak four European languages and has passed ABRSM Grade 8 Organ with merit.

Maurice’s main passions are music and drama. Since 1994 he was resident organist at Holy Trinity Church Burslem.  After 25 years service, he ‘retired’ from the post to become freelance.  However, he was immediately approached by his local parish church and is now organist at Holy Trinity Hartshill. As well as enjoying performing instrumental music, he loves to sing. He is an active member of the Ages and Stages Theatre Company at the New Vic; he has performed at Live Age Festival, Penkhull Festival, Latitude Festival  and at Keele University. During the COVID lockdown, Maurice joined Inky Cloak, Inside Out Digital Drama Group.

To mark 20 years living with HIV, in 2004 Maurice ventured to New Zealand where he met up with an old friend and made many new ones. He fell in love with the country and for the following five years returned to explore North Island, South Island, Stewart Island, Great Barrier Island, the Coromandel Peninsula and many other parts of this beautiful country. In 2009, Maurice marked the 25th anniversary of his life with HIV by also volunteering with an HIV support charity in White River, South Africa. 

In 2011 it was the turn of Australia where each winter he gradually managed to visit every state apart from the Canberra. In 2016 Maurice was granted Honorary Life Membership of Melbourne’s Vintage Men’s Group. More recently, Maurice has broken up the long journey across the globe with visits to Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia and the Philippines. Just before the COVID lock down, Maurice switched directions from East to West to explore Cuba. After travel restrictions were lifted and fully vaccinated, in 2024 Maurice resumed his exploration of southwestern southern hemisphere with adventures in Colombia. The following year he began his travels in Argentina and fell in love with the country, its vast and varied landscapes, its wildlife…but above all… its kind and welcoming people. 

BACKGROUND

After training at the College of the Venerable Bede in Durham, Maurice worked in the field of Education as a teacher of music and drama; this was followed by a second career in Professional Theatre working mainly in Stage Management with an occasional Acting Part. He has also appeared as a supporting artist in numerous television programmes. He is the author of two folk instrument tutor books.