PEER ACTION
GSCENE 23
Through activities offered at Peer Action,
their aim is help all those affected by HIV; be
it physically, mentally and emotionally. One of
the ways they do this is via the weekly yoga
sessions at St Mary’s Church Hall at the top of
St James’ Street. The sessions are run by yoga
practitioner, Dan, for people of all abilities
and are just £3 per session, making it
affordable for everyone to get involved in
improving their health and well-being.
The project has become one of the staples of
Peer Action’s repertoire and a signifier of
what Peer Action had hoped to establish in
the beginning: a group that brought people
affected by HIV together, break down barriers,
while empowering them to break away from
negative routines. As one regular to the yoga
workshop put it:
“Through going to Peer
Action yoga sessions, I feel
fitter, I feel better, I feel far
less isolated and a whole
lot more connected to
my community.”
With the success of the yoga classes, Peer
Action hope to expand on these services with
the support from local holistic practitioner’s
Pathways, offering monthly free ear
acupuncture at a drop in service on a
Holistic therapies have long been associated
in helping those living with HIV and reduce
stress, stimulate appetite and restore a
feeling of well-being. These factors are key in
helping many people living with HIV to create
a balance in their lives and to get on with
living which is at the core of what Peer
Action are continuing to strive to bring to
those who use their services.
them. Together as a collective we can support
and empower each other. For example one of
our peers has retrained as a massage therapist
and is now involved with our therapy days,
while another Peer has used his past training
as a graphic designer and helps with our
promotional posters.”
Richard Jenerway, Peer Action.
Although HIV has been around for the last 30
years, there’s still much to be done to break
down the stigma that many people living with
the virus face. It’s for this reason that many
of Peer Action’s groups, including the monthly
therapy sessions, weekly yoga sessions and
social trips out are for everybody affected by
HIV. It’s hoped that in doing so Peer Action is
changing people’s perception of what a
person living with HIV in the 21st century is
about. As one Peer put it:
Over the last year and a half, Peer Action
secured valuable funding from the National
Lottery, and continues to hold various
fundraising nights at the Bedford Tavern,
allowing them to expand on existing group
activities within Peer Action, giving those
who use the services an opportunity to come
on board and start up new projects for the
benefit of those who wants to get involved.
“Living with HIV is no longer
about surviving, but thriving;
sharing ideas, skills and
breaking down the stigma
that many people living with
HIV have to face through
other people’s lack of
knowledge about the virus.”
“Since starting Peer Action we have found
people with a great nu