On the 7 June, Diabetes UK North West, working with NHS organisations in Cumbria, is launching Cumbria Diabetes Awareness Month to raise awareness of diabetes across the county. Currently, Cumbria has almost 23,000 living with diabetes and a further 11,000 undiagnosed.
The Month kicks off on 7 and 8 June with a Healthy Lifestyle Roadshow in Barrow and finishes on 10 and 11 July with a Bupa Healthy Lifestyle Roadshow in Carlisle. Other events in the month include diabetes risk assessments events, fundraising activities and a tie-in with national Diabetes Week.
Helen Pattie, Regional Manager for Diabetes UK North West, said: “Cumbria has one of the highest rates of undiagnosed diabetes in the UK and to tackle this very serious health issues we are delighted to be working with NHS Cumbria to raise awareness across the county. We will be working in the heart of Cumbria’s communities to increase the rates of diabetes risk assessments, and to support NHS Cumbria Healthcare Professionals to ensure that people living with diabetes are receiving the care they need through promotion of Diabetes UK’s 15 Healthcare Essentials.” (www.diabetes.org.uk/15-essentials).
Key dates:
- 7 and 8 June Diabetes UK Healthy Lifestyle Roadshow, Barrow
- 13 June Kendal Diabetes UK Risk Assessment
- 10 - 16 June National Diabetes Week
- 22 - 24 June, Great North Swim, Windermere
- 10 – 11 July Bupa Healthy Lifestyle Roadshow, Carlisle
- 28 July, Walk for Diabetes, Morecambe Bay (promoted throughout month)
Dr Robert Westgate is the GP Lead for Diabetes in Cumbria said: “It’s fantastic news that Diabetes UK have decided to focus so much activity in Cumbria to raise awareness of the condition, it’s symptoms and the risk factors for developing diabetes.
“Cumbria Diabetes has already established structured education within the county (DESMOND & DAFNE) for people with diabetes and is also working with GPs to improve support for self management. In addition we have just commenced a new structured education programme, ‘Walking away from Diabetes’ which is designed to prevent people from developing Type 2 diabetes if they are at high risk of doing so."
“This campaign will further help people realise that diabetes is a serious condition which we must work together in tackling in order to reduce the risk of complications and improve well being.”
Diabetes UK will also be working with its Voluntary Group Members and Cumbria Service Users Advisory Group across the county to push the initiative and will also be supported by Diabetes Voices, Diabetes UK’s network for people who want to raise their voice to improve the lives of people living with diabetes across the UK, www.diabetes.org.uk/Get_involved/Diabetes-Voices/.
For more information contact Diabetes UK North West on 01925 653281or n.west@diabetes.org.uk.