Previous award winners
Achievement Awards
Meet some of our previous award winners:
The Diabetes UK Leicester Parent’s Group
Working with children and young people award 2007
This award is for outstanding contribution and commitment to working with children and young people with diabetes.
The Leicester parents group are very active in their area in supporting children and young people with diabetes by arranging various activities. For many years the group has organised ‘Camp Charnwood’, a five day holiday for children with diabetes.
In order to better support the children and young people who attend the holidays, the group reviewed their safeguarding procedures. As a consequence they attended training, adopted new procedures, underwent Criminal Record Bureau disclosure checks and showed a full commitment to safeguarding children and themselves.
The group are now able to fully support the Diabetes UK safeguarding policy, reassure parents who leave children in their care, and protect themselves, which ultimately helps and supports the children and young people with diabetes in the Leicestershire area.
Sandra Parsons
Work to improve the quality of diabetes care and services award 2007
This award is for outstanding work to improve diabetes care and services.
Sandra (pictured) is a member of the North Staffordshire voluntary group. When a local diabetes ward was under threat of closure due to the redevelopment of the hospital she worked overtime to try and prevent services for people with diabetes being put into jeopardy.
Sandra conducted newspaper interviews to highlight the problem the closure of the ward would cause and started a petition to campaign to stop the closure. Her efforts resulted in the hospital agreeing to a meeting to discuss the services available to patients.
At the meeting with the hospital Sandra helped represent the concerns and views of local people with diabetes and her campaign created interest from the local media which kept diabetes high on the agenda.
The Diabetes UK South Gloucestershire voluntary group
Communications Award 2007
This award is for excellent communication in raising awareness about diabetes and Diabetes UK.
The South Gloucestershire voluntary group have had a continuous presence in the local community for 13 years and network with other groups in Gloucestershire. The group are enthusiastic, committed and positive advocates for Diabetes UK.
The group regularly communicates with primary and secondary health providers, doctors, nurses and encourages their attendance at regular meetings and welcome input into the programmes that the group run.
This work has really paid off, many of the local doctor’s surgeries inform their newly diagnosed patients about the voluntary group. Many of the local surgeries also display literature about the group and about diabetes.
The South Gloucestershire voluntary group have an impressive website and they also work hard to raise awareness of diabetes by attending local events and running information stalls, which they do with great enthusiasm and passion.
To nominate individuals or groups for the Volunteer Achievement Awards 2008, please contact the Volunteer Development team on 020 7424 1000 for a nomination form. The closing date for nominations is Monday 28 July 2008.