Since our Autumn edition, we have been busy continuing work on a number of projects, including the Healthy Goals and Walking Cricket programmes, as well as our #PlayDominoTalkProstate campaign. We have also been busy compiling our annual report for 2018 which is now available!
Exciting new work will also be commencing shortly on translating the Leicester Diabetes Risk Score into Urdu funded by Diabetes UK.
Visit to the House of Commons
Director, Professor Kamlesh Khunti along with Andy, Carol and Natalie from the Centre along with colleagues from the Leicester Diabetes Centre were invited along to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Diabetes on 13th December 2019. The all-day session included discussions around health equality in urban diabetes as well as Cities Changing Diabetes.
They also had the opportunity to talk about the work of the Centre, including the Leicester Diabetes Risk Score Tool used in community, workplace and faith settings across the city, and highlighted the importance of recognising inequalities in patients’ experiences and the need to shape treatment to address these.
Leicester became the first city in the UK to join the Cities Changing Diabetes programme. The programme has brought together organisations from across Leicester and some initiatives involve the professional sports clubs who have committed to promoting health and well being by encouraging healthy eating and physical activity.
The presentations were well received by the APPG who recognised the work taking place in Leicester as part of the Cities Changing Diabetes initiative and as such recommended that “local community assets including city council, workplaces, schools, faith and, or, community organisations, and sports clubs amongst others can all work together more effectively to promote and improve the lives of people at risk of and with diabetes”.
Please read below for an update around the Health Goals and Walking Cricket initiatives as part of the Cities Changing Diabetes programme.
What about our existing work?
Fitness sessions with LCFC and Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Following on from the success of the pilot schemes, new programmes are now being delivered for both Healthy Goals and Walking Cricket.
Both Leicester City Football Club and Leicestershire County Cricket Club identified that their existing community engagement programmes were not well attended by Leicester’s BME population, and our Community Engagement Officers have been working closely with both clubs to bring together the Healthy Goals and Walking Cricket fitness sessions in Leicester.
The Healthy Goals programme is a 12-week education and physical activity programme which includes education around lifestyle and diet designed to suit the audience and is delivered by educators from the Leicester Diabetes Centre. The education session is then followed by one hour of fun and exciting physical activity led by the Leicester City Football Club Community Trust. Previous sessions have included light circuits to walking sports in local facilities as well as using outdoor gyms in local communities.
Walking Cricket is a 90-minute session held at Leicester Arena, the venue of the Leicester Riders Basketball based in the heart of the community. The programme runs for 10 weeks and includes coaching from the Leicestershire County Cricket Club followed by a game of walking cricket. Individuals attending previous sessions have found this to be a great opportunity to make new friends and socialise whilst gaining benefits of physical activity.
#PlayDominoTalkProstate
Pamela, the Centre’s Community Champion has been busy continuing to raise vital awareness of prostate cancer and spoke to presenter Herdle White on BBC Radio Leicester back in January.
Our #PlayDominoTalkProstate campaign aimed at African-Caribbean men was kick-started by the Play Domino, Talk Prostate event last March along with Prostaid and Prostate Cancer UK.
As well as busy raising awareness in the community and enlisting local radio presenters to support the campaign, Pamela has also been busy getting support from the late Bob Marley’s son, Julian.
