Families Make Connections at a London picnic
In July 2026, two of our Specialists Support Officers in London, Emanuela and Nina, hosted a picnic for families living with HIV at a beautiful location in Hyde park.
Ten families attended and the Chiva team really enjoyed seeing everyone and hearing all about their different life stories and journeys with HIV. Everyone seemed very relaxed due to it being the start of the school summer holidays.
A few of the families who attended had adopted children living with HIV and those parents found the meetup very helpful, reflecting that they hadn’t fully understood the worries around HIV stigma that families living with HIV can face.
One mum had cooked rice and chicken for everyone to share. The other attendees were so happy and grateful for the kind gesture and the mum reflected that she was just happy to make new friends.
Families who had previously attended Chiva’s Families Weekend residential encouraged others to give that a go too – highlighting the value of peer support and meet-ups throughout the year to nurture friendships.
Overall, it was a great event and the team are looking forward to planning similar picnics in future.
