Uniting Communities: Fighting Against Type 2 Diabetes Together

According to Diabetes UK research, up to 850,00 people in the UK and living with diabetes and are yet to be diagnosed. Over the past 12-months, LS2Y have been working on a project with TSL Kirklees Shaping Communities, to coordinate community support for diabetes in Huddersfield.

We have awarded funding to a number of community groups, to support activities that raise awareness for Type 2 Diabetes and pre-diabetes and promote general health and wellbeing. Groups supported are:

Diabetes Peer Support Groups:

Living with diabetes can be daunting, but the burden significantly lightens when individuals find support within their community. LS2Y have helped to establish and support existing diabetes peer support groups. These groups offer a safe space for individuals affected by diabetes to share experiences, seek advice, and gain emotional support.

They serve as platforms for exchanging practical tips on nutrition, exercise, and medication adherence. WellnessAction run a weekly session and Huddersfield Mission runs monthly groups at two venues: Huddersfield Mission in central Huddersfield and St Michael & St Helen’s Church in Almondbury

Community Diabetes Testing:

Early detection is important with Type 2 Diabetes and pre-diabetes. We worked alongside Vicky Bhasin, who is a Practice Nurse Manager and the Greenwood PCN Nurse Lead, to hold four community diabetes testing events. They ran in June 2023, across multiple sites in Huddersfield: Greenhead Park, The Chestnut Centre, FOCAL and Birkby & Fartown Library.

Community Champion Awareness Campaigns:

Community Champions are individuals with close ties to their local community, who undertake training to deliver messaging and highlight important health topics. There were two campaigns around Type 2 Diabetes and pre-diabetes awareness, in May/June 2023 and January/ February 2024. Across the two campaigns, hundreds of conversations were held with our champions. They raised awareness, signposted to community health and wellbeing activities, and promoted the National Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP).

The below video produced by TSL Kirklees Shaping Communities, highlights some of the key work that was undertaken in Greenwood PCN and that we at LS2Y helped to coordinate.