Big thanks to St John's Church in Rastrick which staged a beer festival and donated funds to help us  fund a trip to take 28 young diabetes patients on an activity weekend to the Lake District.

Our paediatric diabetes team host the weekends to boost confidence and to help younsgters feel they are not alone with the condition.

The St John's Beer Festival is held in September every year  and funds raised go to support local charities. This year, they very kindly raised  £800 for the Calderdale and Huddersfield Childrens’ Diabetes Fund which they  presented to Paediatric Diabetes Specialist Nurse Jean Hayman and Patient Advocate Amanda Grayson from our Paediatric Diabetes Team.

This will help fund our trip to take 28 young people on an activity weekend to the Lake District. The benefits of the trip are immeasurable and allow young people to:-

•             Learn that undertaking physical activity is not detrimental when you have diabetes.

•             Make new friends and are reacquainted with old ones.

•             Feel less alone in having diabetes.

•             Develop skills in learning how to work as part of a team and helping others.

•             Learn to own their diabetes whilst away from parents.

•             Observe and discuss different insulin regimes, pumps etc.

•             To be the same amongst their peers. In school they may be the only child with diabetes, but while they are away with our group every young person has diabetes.

•             Personally challenge themselves and be proud of their achievements

The trip is funded entirely by donations and fundraising events so we would like to give our heartfelt thanks to St John's Church and all the people and groups kindly involved in fundraising this year.