Community Champions helping raise community awareness of diabetes
Kirklees Community Champions are trusted and trained individuals with a desire and commitment to make a difference. They use their local knowledge and relationships to have conversations within their local community that provide information, raise awareness, educate or result in a specific action or activity. Champions work for a wide variety of VCSE organisations across Kirklees in a mixture of paid and volunteer roles and have received training regarding their role.
At the beginning of May, 55 Community Champions were provided with Diabetes Awareness training to help them have conversations about Type 2 diabetes within their local communities. For this project, Champions are raising awareness about diabetes and encouraging anyone concerned about diabetes to have a blood test, look at dietary and lifestyle changes that could help prevent diabetes or access support to help them manage or reverse the effects of Type 2 diabetes. Over the last month, the Community Champions have had over 1000 conversations within their local communities, holding several events during Diabetes Awareness Week (12-18th June) and signposting individuals to a wide range of supporting activities.
The project is funded by Kirklees Health & Care Partnership and managed by TSL Kirklees.
As the year progresses, the Champions will also be back out in their communities having important conversations around stopping smoking, mental health, and cancer screening.
If you would like a Champion to come and visit your community group and tell you more about their work or raise awareness of diabetes, please contact Steffi at steffi@tslkirklees.org.uk.