Outdoor Positive.

The idea for Outdoor Positive, a group for anybody affected by HIV first came about when David, one of the main organisers of the group, got talking to a nurse at the Sussex Beacon.

“The conversation got round to the benefits of outdoor walks. I spoke about my time as a youth in the scout movement with many activities involving getting out into the countryside and the enjoyment I got from such activities.”

            David: Outdoor Positive.

Other people said how they didn’t really identify with the pub/ club scene so much and found the only time they connected with other HIV positive people was either through visits to the Sussex Beacon or the Lawson unit clinic. From this initial conversation a group was put together with the simple ethos meeting up away from the bars and clubs and to take a walk around the countryside of East Sussex. Word quickly got round of the new group and its first walk last year in March taking in the sights of Stanmer Park and the surrounding area. The team behind Lunch Positive were on hand to provide the refreshments with around thirty people turning up on the day. The feedback was extremely positive with many people saying how nice it was to get out and see parts of countryside that they had wanted to explore but would never have done so on their own. Since then Outdoor Positive have explored many different parts of East Sussex’s country side, with all the starting and finishing points accessible via public transport. Read more