​Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation events programme recognised at Quality in Care Diabetes Awards

Charity receives the Judge’s Special Award and is Highly Commended as an Outstanding Educator in Diabetes.

The annual Quality in Care (QiC) Diabetes awards were held last night, at Sanofi’s UK headquarters in Guildford, recognising innovative practice demonstrating quality in diabetes management, education and services for people with diabetes and/or their families, throughout the UK.

Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation (DRWF) was delighted to be awarded the Judge’s Special Award and to be Highly Commended in the Empowering People with Diabetes category.

Sarah Tutton, DRWF Chief Executive, said: “We are very proud to have won the Judge’s Special Award and been Highly Commended at this year’s Quality in Care awards. We have worked very hard to measure the effectiveness of these events for people living with diabetes and we know it offers the support and information to help people to learn to self-manage their condition and avoid long term complications. It’s amazing to have this hard work recognised amongst so many other fantastic projects going on around the country.

"The charity’s entry highlighted the growth and sustainability of an educational event programme for people with all forms of diabetes which has grown tremendously over a number of years, showcasing, in particular, the Diabetes Wellness Day South which is held in the Wessex region each year.” She added

The QiC awards recognise initiatives that improve the quality of life for people living with diabetes, as judged by the NHS, patients and industry.

NHS teams from Liverpool, County Durham and Southampton were among those receiving awards and DRWF had been nominated in the Empowering People with Diabetes category for the annual Diabetes Wellness Day South – an event that brings together a wealth of information under one roof for people living with diabetes, their family members, carers, friends and those with an interest in diabetes.

The event is run in close collaboration with local healthcare services, complementing and reinforcing key health messages to support optimised glycaemic control and psychosocial well-being. The programme has grown from workshops delivery to include a ‘hub’ area and satellite sessions throughout the day.

In presenting the Highly Commended award judges said: “The event is so diverse encompassing a wide range of resources, workshops and activities for people of all ages to partake in. The reach of the event is remarkable and it has clear sustainability.”

In addition DRWF received the Judge’s Special Award, judged from all entries received (irrespective of category) for a project that the judges feel deserves national recognition and a platform to be shared with the wider diabetes community.

Judges said: “DRWF have put together a brilliant education support programme with excellent outcomes. The events are clearly user focused, providing an opportunity for peer support and re-engaging those users who have missed out on a structured education. The programme offers huge value to future users and has great potential to reach other areas of the UK."

“Professor Kath Barnard, Managing Director of BHR Limited and member of the DRWF Research Advisory Board has conducted a two-year research project for DRWF with a number of event attendees. Her detailed report demonstrates how much the events improve delegates’ diabetes self-management skills which we know leads to better long term health and wellbeing outcomes.”

DRWF has run the Wellness Event programme since 2001, providing a number of workshops, residential weekends and activity holidays focused on providing expert health information in a relaxed and supportive environment.

The Diabetes Wellness Day format has been running for the last nine years, initially in the south of the country followed seven years ago by an event in the North East and, later this year, the first Midlands event.

Each day is supported by regional diabetes healthcare professionals and diabetes diagnostic companies, with a programme of talks and an exhibition space, with the opportunity for people to meet and share their own experiences.

A full list of award winners can be viewed here