Coventry is proud to be part of the global Fast-Track Cities partnership that brings together our communities, local organisations, and health services to drive progress toward shared HIV goals, including reducing new infections, improving access to care, and eliminating stigma and discrimination.
This is a community effort, and everyone can play a part. By listening to people with lived experience and working closely with neighbourhood groups and residents, we’re creating a Coventry where HIV information is easy to find, services are simple to access, and support feels welcoming and visible.
Our aim is to build a more open, informed, and supportive city — a place where everyone feels valued and empowered to look after their health. This whole city approach helps us make sure no one is left behind.
We are proud to be an international HIV Fast Track City and are committed to working together to help end new HIV transmissions by 2030. Our focus is on reducing stigma and discrimination and improving the quality of life for people living with HIV.
Community launch day
Goals and priorities
- Reduce new HIV infections in the city.
- End HIV-related stigma and discrimination: Zero Stigma.
- End preventable deaths from HIV-related causes.
- Work to improve the health, quality of life and well-being of people living with HIV in the city.
We’re working with residents, partners, and health services and more to bring these goals to life through a HIV Action Plan 2026 to 2030.
Take a look as the experts answer questions on HIV, STIs and sexual health. [https://www.startswithme.org.uk/videos]
Coventry HIV Fast Track City Community Ally scheme
HIV stigma can have a devastating impact on people living with HIV. The effects can be seen in their mental wellbeing, quality of life and physical health and may prevent people from talking about their HIV status or getting treatment. People may also worry that if others know their HIV status, they may be shunned by their friends and/or community. A fear of this stigma and discrimination can also stop people from getting tested, undermining the efforts that are being made to eradicate HIV.
Coventry signed up to be an HIV Fast Track City in February 2026. Our ambition is to end HIV transmission and stigma by 2030. Our approach embraces the importance of building partnerships with services and, most importantly, communities to develop and deliver a tailored HIV Action Plan for Coventry.
The voluntary and faith sector is recognised as having a special position with the communities we most want to reach. In recognition of this, we are opening an HIV Fast Track City Community Ally scheme in January 2026 to encourage open and factually correct HIV conversations to take place to reduce HIV transmission and HIV stigma in addition to enabling community members to feed in their thoughts and ideas into the development of the Coventry HIV Action Plan.
Any voluntary sector or faith organisation that works with Coventry residents can sign up to be a Community Ally.
Values of the scheme
Allies are expected to sign up to model the following values:
- being the voices that end HIV transmission and HIV stigma
- making a positive change to the way we think, talk and act around HIV
- educate and empower to end HIV and HIV stigma
What does it mean to be a community HIV Fast Track Cities ally?
We would be grateful if you could deliver the following:
- to display the Coventry HIV Fast Track City commitment (we will provide)
- to encourage members of your community to be a Coventry HIV Fast Track City Community Ally
- to include up-to-date and accurate information on your website that challenges HIV stigma and discrimination
- to share relevant and accurate HIV key facts via social media (we will provide social media content with key messages)
- to share that your organisation is a Community Ally via social media and other relevant platforms
- we will be holding HIV webinars throughout the year and would be grateful if you could share dates with your community. The webinar enables residents to access HIV facts and to ask questions; in this way, we can address HIV myths and reduce HIV stigma and discrimination
- encourage members to complete the HIV questionnaire (we will provide this to you). This enables members to feed their thoughts and ideas into the production of the local HIV Action Plan
Join us - Become a HIV Fast Track City Community Ally
Please complete this short application form [https://myaccount.coventry.gov.uk/service/Join_the_HIV_community_ally_scheme]
Find out about HIV testing in Coventry. [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/health-wellbeing/hiv/2]