What Can YOU Do For World Diabetes Day 2013?

November is known as the big blue month as it hold's the 14th which is World Diabetes Day. An opportunity for everyone to get together in raising support and awareness for the condition that already effects millions of people worldwide. But has the potential in the next few years to effect up to 1 in 3 people that possibly don't even know they are at risk of the condition. So here are some ideas as to how you can get involved...

Why Get Involved?

Well as I briefly mentioned in the introduction you should get involved if you have diabetes because a day devoted to raising awareness, possibly funds and that will aid education. By being at or organising an event it is also a fantastic opportunity to meet other people with the condition. If you don't have diabetes, it's equally as important to get involved. Firstly because you may be at risk of having the condition in the next couple of years. So now is a great opportunity even to help your future self by raising awareness of the symptoms, in order to allow for early diagnosis. Or perhaps you know someone with the condition that could benefit from you being involved.

I personally want to get involved in world diabetes day because this year has opened my eyes to the diabetes community. Before I went away to the IDF camp I thought of the diabetes community as being quite small, as I was thinking about it on a British scale. But this is a condition that doesn't discriminate between gender or race. And it's getting to the point where it doesn't dissimilate between age either. Which is what makes it so important that everyone get involved and get aware of what diabetes is all about. Because together we're stronger. And perhaps working together is what drives us closer to the cure. But more about what I have planned for World Diabetes Day in the upcoming blogs. But what I can reveal is that it's something that you can get involved in whilst sat at your computer desk.


How does World Diabetes Day Benefit People?

There is a very long list of what benefits there are to getting on board with an event to the day, including the reasons already mentioned. But a couple of other benefits to mull over are:- Supporting loved ones; supporting friends; raising money for research; raising money for a cure; providing medication to those who can't access it; giving education to those in need of it; helping people take control of their condition; preventing people from being diagnosed; your favourite colour is blue; you want to make a difference, you enjoy volunteering; you've never volunteered before; you could be at risk of getting diabetes; you don't know anything about diabetes; you're afraid of needles; you enjoy helping people

What Can I Do For #WDD ?
  • Create a sporting competition or event
  • Host a Public Information Day
  • Have a Bake Sale at your place of work/school/friends
  • Poster and or Leaflet Campaigns
  • Join a Thunderclap movement on social media*
  • Wear Blue where ever you go on WDD*
  • Newspaper and magazine articles
  • Create diabetes workshops and education days
  • Monument lightings*
  • Make a human blue circle*
  • Political events
  • Sponsored Walks/Runs
  • Share posts on WDD on social media
And these are to name but a few, the events with the asterisk next to them I will blog about in greater detail during this month. As I've come across some really great examples of these within the diabetes community that I would like to share with you!





This is an image from http://www.bostonscientific.com/ that they have created with regard to the prevelance of diabetes now vs in the future. And is the very reason we need to act on diabetes now by taking part in #WDD 2013.










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Meet The Author

My blog takes you through a daily look at sport, diabetes and everything in between. As an athlete that lives with type 1 diabetes I want to let you into news, views and all that is important to both of my passions.




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