This week, team Brigstowe attended Fast Track Cymru’s Fast Track Cities UK & Ireland Conference 2026 in Cardiff. In addition to most of Brigstowe’s team, including the leadership team, several volunteers from across various projects and teams at Brigstowe also went along to the conference. Conscious of the latest heatwave, traveling was made easier by carpooling, kindly coordinated by Louise.
The conference on Tuesday 23rd June was attended by HIV professionals across the country, from HIV charities to activists, clinical staff and healthcare professionals. Hosted at the Holland Hotel with excellent air conditioning (to everyone’s relief!), the small team at Fast Track Cymru put together an engaging and interactive event with an impressive range of panelists, who all brought a wealth of experience and expertise to the discussions. This includes Common Ambition Bristol (CAB) Project Manager Matthew Wilson, who spoke on the panel “Addressing Stigma: Projects, Partnerships and Progress.”
Opened with a welcome to Wales by Fast Track Cymru Manager Sarah Maslen-Roberts and Dr. Olwen Williams OBE, the conference programme was populated by various talks and panels of charity leaders and health professionals. In the morning, “Closing the Gap: Practical Solutions to Health Inequalities” inspired discussion around reaching marginalised communities, underlined the need for good relationships between clinics and community, and reminded us that knowledge gives confidence to address stigma.
Following from this, the panel “Road to Zero: What would get us on track” looked at national and regional progress towards the 2025-30 HIV Action Plan and emphasised the importance of including communities impacted by HIV in conversations. In the afternoon, we had the opportunity to select breakout rooms and participate in discussions around women and HIV, integrated testing, political engagement and advocacy, and data and monitoring, among many more interesting topics and speakers.
Following the closing ceremony, the hosts organised an auction for a series of artworks created by young people as part of Fast Track Cymru’s National HIV Art Competition. Abundant in symbolism and meaning, the artworks were displayed in the conference hall, where attendees had a chance to admire the pieces between talks.
Adele Wolujewicz, HIV consultant and Brigstowe trustee, reflected on her experience attending the conference: “It’s been a really good day. It’s also been really fun, good energy, great venue and really happy to be here. For me, the highlights are networking with people who are sharing their practice in the area, and learning how we can do just that little bit more in Bristol.”
Rami Ghali, Brigstowe CEO, said: “I’m delighted to see how many people from Brigstowe, both staff and volunteers, attended the conference. Events like this are immensely important for providing a space for people with lived experience and those working in HIV, to come together to discuss priorities and share tips for best practice. It’s a pleasure to be surrounded by so many people who are passionate about improving HIV outcomes and ensuring that no one is left behind. A huge thank you to Fast Track Cymru for all their hard work organising this brilliant event.”
