Monday Meet Ups
Currently known as "Lockdown Lunches", these are now facilitated remotely. In normal time the Monday meet ups were a weekly event where service users got together to have lunch together and build mutually supportive relationships. We provided sandwiches, tea & coffee at the events.
Lockdown Lunches
(Monday, Wednesday, Friday @ 1pm)
Replacing Monday Meet-ups and Friday Foodies, with an extra Wednesday session thrown in to break up the week.
Friday Foodies
Currently known as "Lockdown Lunches", these are now facilitated remotely. In normal time the Friday Foodies was a weekly event where service users got together to have lunch together and build mutually supportive relationships. We provided sandwiches, tea & coffee at the events.
We offer a wide range of individual support services for people living with or affected by HIV.
Counselling is offered in partnership with our team of qualified associate staff and Relate NI. You’ll be supported by a trained therapist to help you find ways to deal with emotional issues
One to one support with experienced and skilled support staff within Positive Life
Complementary therapies are delivered by our team of qualified associates and help with relaxation and reduce stress and anxiety
Advice, information and advocacy service is delivered in partnership with Advice Space and can help with a range of issues including PIP applications, general benefit checks etc.
Walk & Talks*
We have monthly walk & talks at various locations around the greater Belfast area. The walk & talks are an opportunity to meet other service users and share and learn from each other’s experiences. *COVID Guidance Dependant
Positive Peers
Peer support is when people come together to share knowledge and personal experiences.
The aim is to help others who are newly diagnosed, or who are still coming to terms with their diagnosis, feel less isolated.
Our “Positive Peers” programme helps facilitate communication between people who have been diagnosed for a while and who have a wealth of experience that they are willing to share with others who are just starting out on what can often be a confusing and lonely journey following an HIV diagnosis.
Positive Peers are fully trained and provide support in group settings or on a one to one basis. By sharing their own personal experiences and offering practical support, they help others find their own path through what can be a difficult time.
HIV is a virus which damages the human immune system and increases the risk of opportunistic infections and certain cancers and Northern Ireland has the fastest growing rates of new diagnoses in the UK with an increase of some 20% annually.
Group Support
We're delighted to be able to offer a wide range of group support opportunities. In light of current guidance relating to social distancing, all of our group sessions are being facilitated online.
Men’s group
At our men’s groups we host a service user-led activity every 3 months.
This provides our male service users with an opportunity to take part in an enjoyable / informative activity while developing positive relationships with other service users.
Women’s group
At our women’s groups we host a service user-led activity every 3 months.
This provides our female service users with an opportunity to take part in an enjoyable / informative activity while developing positive relationships with other service users.
Newly Diagnosed Group
This is a support group for service users who have recently been diagnosed or is affected by someone who has recently had a diagnosis of HIV.
We discuss topics such as medication, side effects, stigma, who do I tell about my diagnosis, viral load, U=U, how to manage our thoughts and feelings.
The newly diagnosed group is also an opportunity to meet other newly diagnosed service users and hear how other service users manage their HIV diagnosis.
Information Sessions
We run our information sessions each month. These sessions are informative and the topics of the sessions are user-led. The information sessions are designed to give our service users information that will help better manage their HIV diagnosis. The information sessions are also an opportunity for service users to meet new people and build relationships and provide support for each other.
Family Support
Our group for parents meets throughout the year during school holidays, taking part in trips and activities that the younger ones will enjoy whilst getting the chance to meet and catch up with other parents living with and affected by HIV. Recent activities have included outings to Belfast Activity Centre, and the various National Museums of Northern Ireland.
Welfare Advice
In partnership with Advice Space, our Welfare Benefits Adviser Gareth Larmour continues to offer free confidential and independent advice on issues relating to:
- Benefits
- Consumer issues
- Housing
- Employment
- Tribunal representation
- Money and debt
Advice sessions can be carried out via Zoom or telephone. If you require advice in these areas contact us on (028) 9024 9268 to make an appointment.
Due to the current government guidelines regarding social distancing, we are unable to provide Holistic Therapy appointments.
Please register your interest with a member of staff and we will keep you up to date when things change.
Complementary Therapies
Yoga
Yoga is a practice which permeates all of life. Yoga is about being the best person you can be. Yoga teaches us how to be present in the moment, stay connected to our breath and be accepting of where we are. The physical practice helps us to become flexible and strong. The breathwork aids our respiratory system which in turns feeds our heart. The meditation eases our minds, relieving us from the stresses of living in the modern world. Everything experienced on the mat eventually travels off the mat into our every day lives, helping us live with acceptance and love.
Art Therapy
It is not about producing beautiful works of art. No skill or talent is required; nothing can be wrong or inadequate in Art Therapy. Scribbles, marks and doodles are all fine! You are free to use the materials in any way that you wish. Working in a relaxed environment that encourages you to experiment and play with art materials can assist in healing self-confidence, self-esteem and also help in relieving painful or unacknowledged feelings.
Art Therapy can be offered individually or in a group. An individual session can last up to one hour. Group work shares aspects of individual treatment but has the additional benefit of sharing work and talking to others confidentially. Much can be given and received by members of a group in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust. A group session normally lasts 1-2 hours.
Indian Head Massage
Works the muscles on the upper back, neck, head and face. The aim is to ease tight muscles, encourage blood flow to the area and ultimately to calm the mind. Treatment can be worked over clothes or on bare skin.
Therapeutic Massage
Promotes general physical and emotional well-being and involves various massage movements and pressure applied during a treatment. The massage treatment can be relaxing, stimulating or deep tissue depending on the client and required result.
Aromatherapy
Involves the use of a vegetable carrier oil and essential oils, blended to the client’s needs, being massaged over the body to ease muscle tension and produce a feeling of relaxation in mind and body. Massage movements can be stimulating or relaxing as required by the client.
Is more than a simple foot massage, it treats the entire body through applying pressure to reflexes in the feet which are linked to other parts of the body through is nervous system. The aim of this treatment is to help de-stress the mind and body to leave a feeling of total relaxation.
Education
At Positive Life, we aim to provide a comprehensive programme of events to educate people and raise awareness about HIV, including transmission, testing services and challenging the myths about what living with HIV means.
We are present at university and college information days, providing up to date information to students and making them aware of how to protect themselves against HIV.
We also provide bespoke HIV training and awareness raising to the public and private sector. This work seeks to further inform and equip key stakeholders to better respond and support people living with and affected by HIV in Northern Ireland.
We will work closely with all stakeholders to ensure that our education programme is open and accessible to all.
If you have any question regarding our HIV education programme or would like to request a training/ awareness raising session please contact us to discuss your individual needs and tailor your session.