Dedicated Diabetes UK Cymru volunteers from across Wales will be lining up to receive recognition for their work this Saturday.
The annual Diabetes UK Inspire Awards ceremony celebrates the achievements of committed volunteers from across the country who raise crucial funds and awareness of diabetes for the charity.
The winners will be announced at the Inspire Awards event at the Village Hotel in Cardiff on Saturday May 19.
Sarah Gibbs, 45, from Newport, is one of the nominees. She has been nominated for the Inspire award for Supporting Others because of her outstanding work with the Newport Diabetes UK local group.
Sarah is the founding member and leader of the Newport Diabetes UK group. She regularly volunteers and speaks at events, encouraging members of the public to know their risk of diabetes.
She is passionate about empowering people who have been diagnosed with diabetes, has worked with GP surgeries to offer information about diabetes to local people, and offers help to people about managing their diabetes. In 2018 Sarah will join the Wales Advisory Council to represent the Type 2 diabetes community in Wales
Sarah will join volunteers from across Wales at the awards ceremony on Saturday. Among the other nominees are the Macauley family from North Wales, who have been nominated for the Fundraising Award after raising £13,000 for the charity at a fundraising ball, and Yvonne Johns from Abergele, who has been nominated for both the Supporting Diabetes Award and the Reaching Out and Connecting Award after working tirelessly for 20 years as a volunteer.
The awards also celebrate the work of Diabetes UK Cymru support groups across the country. Volunteer groups from Cardiff and Cwmbach have been nominated for the Local Group and Community Award for the support, information and activities they offer to hundreds of people living with diabetes in Wales.
There are now over 188,000 people with diabetes in Wales and Diabetes UK Cymru’s volunteers play a vital role. The charity’s volunteers help raise awareness of how to manage the condition, campaign to improve the quality of care available, fundraise for pioneering research and work to stem the rising tide of diabetes.
Diabetes UK Cymru’s Director said:
“Through our Inspire Awards we thank our hard working volunteers like Sarah, Yvonne and the Macauleys for their contributions and highlight the positive difference their work has made to the lives of people who are living with diabetes.
“Our volunteers are out there working hard in the community day in and day out. Our much-needed work wouldn’t be possible without their incredible support and I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of our volunteers who make an enormous difference through their support.”
The Inspire Awards recognise and celebrate outstanding individuals as well as group volunteer efforts. The winners are chosen by judging panels across the UK and are then placed in a pool to be judged for the UK-wide Inspire Awards which will be presented in May 2018.
Diabetes UK Cymru has nearly 500 registered volunteers, many of whom also belong to the charity’s 33 local support groups. To find out more about becoming a volunteer for Diabetes UK Cymru, or to join a local support group, please email [email protected] or call 029 2066 8276.
