Diabetes UK Northern Ireland recently relocated to Lisburn Square House and welcomed Mayor, Cllr Alan Givan, to officially open their new offices.
The Mayor was also joined by Diabetes UK Chief Executive, Chris Askew, members of the local Lisburn Supporter Group and local political representatives including; Rt. Hon. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP, Pat Catney MLA, Paul Givan MLA and former Health Minister, Edwin Poots MLA.
The Mayor of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council said, ‘I am delighted to welcome Diabetes UK Northern Ireland to Lisburn and know that they will enjoy being an integral part of this city. There are more and more people living with diabetes and it is staggering to see that there are now over 100,000 people with the condition living in Northern Ireland. I would like to thank the local Lisburn Diabetes UK Support Group for all their work in the local area and wish Diabetes UK Northern Ireland continued success in their mission to raise awareness and provide support for people with this very serious condition.’
Diabetes is a condition where there is too much glucose in the blood because the body cannot use it properly. If not managed well, both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can lead to devastating complications. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of preventable sight loss in people of working age in the UK and is a major cause of lower limb amputation, kidney failure and stroke.
There are now nearly 100,000 people diagnosed with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in Northern Ireland. In addition there are 12,621 more people living with type 2 diabetes who don’t know they have it because they haven’t been diagnosed yet, bringing the total number up to 112,454.
Our Chief Executive, Chris Askew, said, ‘Diabetes UK is extremely proud of its growing network of local teams, support groups and supporters who all contribute to tackling the diabetes crisis. The Diabetes UK Northern Ireland team has made great progress in making change happen and raising the voice of those living with diabetes.
‘Improving diabetes care, increasing understanding of the condition, accessing technology and emotional support can help people with diabetes lead a long and healthy lives. We are working with the Diabetes Network, political representatives and healthcare professionals as well as people with diabetes from the local community to ensure that everyone affected by the condition has access to the right treatment, knowledge and support.’
If you would like to volunteer for Diabetes UK Northern Ireland or find out more about diabetes, please contact n.ireland@diabetes.org.uk or call the Helpline on 0345 123 2399 or go to www.diabetes.org.uk.
