Communities

We have a strong commitment to communicating diabetes health messages to people from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups.

This is because Type 2 diabetes is six times more common in South Asian people, and three times more common in people with African or African-Caribbean heritage than in the White European population. In these minority ethnic groups, onset of the condition tends to occur earlier in adulthood, from as young as 25 years for people of South Asian origin.

To help us engage more effectively with people from these diverse groups, we have created a team of special ambassadors we call Diabetes Community Champions.

We recruit these Champions from the ethnic groups we want to reach, and they help us make better contact with faith groups, schools and community elders.

They organise talks and risk assessment sessions in local settings and signpost people to their local diabetes healthcare services.