A body which represents the four main churches in Londonderry has said it is keen to work with a HIV support group to raise awareness of the condition.
Liam Milligan from the Churches Trust was speaking after an awareness event in Derry on Tuesday which was attended by only one member of the clergy.
Kieran Harris of NI HIV Support Centre said he sent out 19 invitations to various churches. Both organisations are to meet next week. Mr Harris said he believed the clergy should play a bigger role in helping those with HIV/AIDS.
“People do look to churches for leadership, and I think the subject we’re talking about is particularly important to our young people. “We would intend to follow up our invites to church leaders and to engage with them to find out how we can deliver our message in a language that they find acceptable.
“If churches are morally opposed to some of the topics that we talk about, please engage with us and let us know where we’re going wrong,” he said. Liam Mulligan said the Churches Trust had been unaware of the event but wanted to offer their support. “We are keen to dispell this impression that the churches aren’t interested,” he said.
“We’re an interdenominational organisation, we are all about working together, and we want to work with the HIV Support Centre to connect with young people, to facilitate dialogue, and to look at opportunities where we can advance services in this area.”
