WHAT HAVE WE BEEN DOING?
Please have a look at the blog posts below to see some of the things we have been doing.
World Aids Day 2022 – Birmingham UK
December 2022
Spurred on from It’s a Sin – Garry Jones embarked on a 2-year mission to create a HIV and Aids Memorial in Birmingham City Centre to inspire future generations, ensure that those lost are never forgotten and as a symbol of hope for the future, to educate and end stigma.
Chiva & Heartlands Paediatric Clinic….
Young adult’s weekend away
November 2022
Chiva organised a residential weekend for young adults aged 18-28 to come together to discuss the support needs for their age group and to explore future Chiva provision…
AIDS 2022 conference in Canada
August 2022
Two of the Chiva Youth Committee went to AIDS 2022 in Montreal, Canada, in July to represent Chiva at the conference. In this blog we hear from one of the young people about their experience…
Youth Committee
July 2022
The CYC has had a busy few months. During Easter, all 15 members met for a residential…
Surfing Trip
June 2022
Chiva organised a peer support meet-up event in Wales in June. Young people attended a fun surfing lesson, participated in teamwork activities and had a thought-provoking discussion about their experiences of HIV being named to them over lunch. Attendees were also invited to ask Chiva staff questions about anything from U=U to vertical transmission.
Positively Spoken
1st May 2022
This oral history project is progressing, with two residential meet-ups taking place so far in 2022, in which eight life stories have been recorded. The meet-ups have the added benefit of providing support and time with peers…
CHIVA YOUTH COMMITTEE UPDATE
1st April 2022
The CYC has had a busy start to the year…
Associates Weekend
22nd March 2022
We employ young adults with lived experience of growing up with HIV in a range of roles. Ten of these young adults came together for a reflective training weekend in early March..
ALTON TOWERS
October 2021
A one day, in person meet up with young people from the Midlands and Liverpool areas to Alton Towers in October 2021.
The 12 young people set their alarms very early to meet up at their pickup points before getting a minibus to the location.
Art is Key 2021
October 2021
Art is Key is Chiva’s creative arts project delivered with Turtle Key Arts…
15th Annual Chiva Conference
September 2021
The 15th Annual Chiva conference was held on the 3rd of September, with attendance in person and online.
Some members from the Chiva Youth Committee travelled to London to present a talk on inequalities.
One youth committee member has written their thoughts on this topic.
Freedom 2 Be Support Camp
August 2021
This year we ran three mini Freedom 2 Be support camps at the start of August, on the theme of Being Me. Across the three camps, 75 young people living with HIV attended.
Each camp was 3 nights long and provided a safe space for the young people to…
Chiva Youth Committee Face to Face Meet Up
June 2021
A one-day face to face youth committee meeting was held in London in June. The 12 who attended dutifully took lateral flow covid tests, got up ridiculously early to catch trains, and battled through the London heat to meet their friends at a church hall near Euston station. After more than a year of zoom meetings, they were overjoyed to be in the same room…
Welsh and South West Young People’s Meet Up
May 2021
Young people from across the South West and Wales met for a day event in Cardiff in May. These events always include a workshop style activity about growing up with HIV, some food, and a social activity chosen by the young people…
Online Support Groups
March 2021
We have continued to provide regular zoom sessions for two different age groups since the start of 2021. These groups have a relaxed feel and have different themes…