Positive Faith || About us

Catholics for AIDS Prevention and Support

CAPS is a network of catholics in Britain and Ireland, promoting HIV prevention and support; aiming to be a voice in the church for people living with HIV, and a catholic voice in the world of HIV. CAPS is a registered UK Charity (1095756) whose main ministry of CAPS is a peer support network of women and men living with HIV who also have a Christian faith – Positive Catholics

Our Objectives are:

• to promote education and prevention, treatment, care and relevant pastoral ministry for all those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, particularly but not exclusively in the UK and Ireland.

• to promote the practical, financial, emotional, spiritual, sacramental and pastoral needs of people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS and to develop appropriate responses.

• to promote continuing reflection on all aspects of ethical, theological, and other challenges raised by HIV/AIDs, not least issues of social justice, through publication, seminars, and other relevant means.

Our Patrons are: Rt. Hon. Baroness Masham of Ilton, Most Rev. Timothy Radcliffe, OP, The Most Reverend Peter Smith, Archbishop of Southwark, Very Rev. John Kearns CP, UK Passionist Provincial, The Christie-Davies Family and Robert Calderisi

Positive Faith is an open access internet resource developed by CAPS. We received funding from Public Health England. It was funded as one of the successful winners selected from across England as part of the HIV Prevention Fund 2016-17.

Positive Faith aims to empower ministers, pastors, teachers, congregational members, people living with HIV, HIV trainers to provide HIV awareness and prevention. By 'speaking the language of faith' and providing accurate medical and theological information, it is the first online training resource addressing HIV from a UK Christian perspective. It is devised and delivered by Christian people living with HIV and promotes the MIPA principle.

We are very excited that Positive Faith will be a relevant and useful resource that helps faith communities to begin to address these issues in truly Christian and pastorally sensitive ways.

Production

This resource took a year to produce and built upon the film created by CAPS and Kip Loades 'Love Tenderly, Act Justly: Stories of HIV and Christianity' in 2014, now integrated into this resource. At the beginning the content was designed, from which the filming opportunities and interview questions were planned. Participants were either known to CAPS or recruited; we used trusted networks, recommendation and the 2016 UK AIDS Memorial Quilt trail when some London churches decided to take part and display quilts. People were filmed in their own homes, churches and localities where possible. Several meetings took place to review and plan the material, website and resource design, and communications. Positive Faith has been developed with an advisory group of theologians and people living with HIV. Films were edited and additional filming took place, based on the feedback of the advisory team and workshops in London and Hertfordshire, UK, where draft videos were piloted. Hertfordshire Public Health was the 'sponsor' and partner for duration of the PHE grant period, and HertsAID, local Herts HIV Charity, co-hosted workshops.

The website Positive Faith was launched on 11 October 2017, at an event hosted by the Anglican and Catholic Bishops of Southwark, with the Very Revd Timothy Radcliffe OP as the guest speaker.

Credits

Director: Kip Loades
Executive Producer (CAPS): Vincent Manning
Producer and Project Management: Victoria Morris
Social Media: Vida Boateng
Additional Camera and Edit: David Powell

Theological Advisor: Vincent Manning
Project Advisory Team: Vida Boateng, Abigail Chakanyuka, Cate Jacobs, Jim McManus, Lazarus Mungure, Michael O'Halloran, John Sherrington, John Thornhill, Horcelie Sinda Wa Mbongo and Mark Waters.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all film participants who have been prepared to come forward: the people of faith who were able to contribute such wisdom and encouragement within the films, and people of faith also living with HIV who spoke openly on camera for the benefit of others.

We would like to thank CAPS Trustees, funders, patrons and supporters and the community of Positive Catholics for their prayers and the many ways they support and provide.

We would like to thank the PHE HIV Prevention Innovation Fund for providing the finance and infrastructure to make this possible, Hertfordshire Public Health for the partnership and HertsAID for support with the workshops and local involvement.

We would like to thank all at the Kairos Centre who hosted us on a number of occasions and with such warmth and flexibility, as we gathered, worked and filmed.