A Memorable Experience at Positively UK Conference
A Memorable Experience at Positively UK Conference
By Alberto Gonzalez
Two delegates from CAPS London, Rosie Margaret and myself, attended the Positively UK conference. It was a fantastic day! Anyone who knows Rosie would agree that spending time with her is always a joy, no matter the event.
The day began with delegates arriving and gathering, this was a great opportunity to connect with members from CAPS Manchester and others we rarely see, including some we’d only met virtually in Zoom meetings.
Once called to the main hall, we observed a minute of silence in remembrance of those who have died and those affected by HIV. Following a brief introduction by the Positively UK organisers, representatives from various charities gave short presentations.
Notable speakers included:
ANGELINA NAMIBA from 4M NETWORK OF MENTOR MOTHERS LIVING WITH HIV
IAIN SPOONER from STRAIGHT TALK
KINGSLEY AMPOMAH BOATENG from MAKING THERAPY
JUDDY OTTI from AFRICA ADVOCACY FOUNDATION
SUSAN COLE from NAM
I had requested to give a short presentation about CAPS and the role of faith in the lives of people living with HIV. However, this request was unfortunately not granted.
Despite this, I was impressed with the presentations. There were some fantastic quotes from the speakers and the presentations delivered important messages, such as:
ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF MIGRANT COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE HIV AGENDA
HIGHLIGHTING THE VULNERABILITY OF OLDER PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV
MENTORING MOTHERS LIVING WITH HIV
ENHANCING CONNECTION AND COMMUNICATION FOR THOSE LIVING OUTSIDE BIG CITIES
PROMOTING VISIBILITY TO COMBAT STIGMA
INCLUDING STRAIGHT MEN IN HIV AWARENESS EFFORTS
ADDRESSING THE LACK OF CURRENT HIV KNOWLEDGE AMONG GPS
TACKLING THE DISTRUST OF THE NHS IN BLACK COMMUNITIES
My favourite quote was from Yvonne Richards-Cooper from George House Trust who said: “When a woman is healed, she can heal 100.”
During the open mic session, I spoke briefly about CAPS and expressed my disappointment that faith and its importance for people living with HIV were not mentioned in the talks or the survey. The panel agreed on the significance of faith and mentioned that the survey included questions about it, but these were not presented. Personally, I was not satisfied with their response. While the audience usually applauded after each question, mine did not receive applause. However, several people approached me afterward to commend me for raising the issue and agreed with its importance.
Rosie and I attended two workshops. The first focused on peer mentoring. Their approach to peer mentoring differed from ours at CAPS, where every group member can act as a peer mentor. Their model relied on trained charity staff. While I found it interesting, I was disappointed by their approach to addressing conflicts between faith and HIV. They preferred to manage these conflicts internally rather than collaborating with a charity like CAPS that has relevant expertise.
Lunch was excellent and provided another opportunity to network. We met several people interested in CAPS.
The second workshop covered HIV and mental health. It was very informative, with Meriel Rattue discussing mindfulness, art therapy, and the need for therapists to be knowledgeable about current HIV facts to avoid prejudgment. We also explored cultural differences in mental health approaches. After the session, I spoke with Meriel, and she acknowledged the importance of faith in mental health for people living with HIV. I asked, “So why didn’t you mention it?” Hopefully, she will next time.
Overall, it was an excellent day. I congratulate the organisers and workshop presenters for creating such a professional, engaging, and enjoyable event. I’m already looking forward to next year’s conference.
