A YOUNG woman with diabetes organised a day designed to help raise funds in the battle against the condition.

Staff at Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust wore blue for Diabetes UK on World Diabetes Day on Friday, November 14.

The event was organised by Sophie Sheppard, 20, who works at the trust as an administrator in the education department. She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in May this year. This is one of a number of fundraising activities that she and her friends, Adam Stock and Liah Marshall-Jones, have organised.

These have included three half marathons run by Mr Stock in Cardiff, Wimbledon and Birmingham. He has now also successfully registered to run the London Marathon in 2015 for Diabetes UK. So far he has raised £500 for the charity. The trio held a fundraising day at Café Nero in Worcester on October 25, selling cupcakes and raffle tickets and raised £664.73 and now Ms Sheppard hopes her friends and colleagues will donate £1 and wear blue on World Diabetes Day.

She said: “My dad, Darren, has had Type 1 diabetes since he was ten, so it is a condition I am very familiar with, but it was still a massive shock to be diagnosed with it myself. It has really impacted on my life but I decided to channel my energies and focus on raising money for Diabetes UK. I have found the charity so helpful, I often look at their website for advice on healthy eating, medication and support. Knowing other people have diabetes and understand what you are going through is a real help.

“I have also had fantastic support from my family and friends, in particular my two great friends, Adam and Liah, who I have known since primary school. We’ve had a really good time working together on these fundraising projects and I’d like to say a huge thank you to them for their help. Since my diagnosis, Worcestershire NHS Trust have been very helpful and are encouraging as many people as possible across the Trust to wear the Diabetes UK colour blue, celebrate World Diabetes Day and help raise awareness of the condition as well as some money.”

Ellen Jurczak, fundraiser for Diabetes UK in the West Midlands, said: “Without fundraisers like Sophie and her friends we would not be able to carry out our work. We are very grateful for their fantastic efforts, which will help us offer vital support to anyone affected by diabetes as well as fund pioneering research into the condition. We wish Sophie lots of luck with her ‘wear blue day’.”

£100 covers the cost of keeping the Diabetes UK Careline open for half an hour, £500 pays for 20 Risk Assessments Volunteers to be trained and £1,000 pays for four people to attend a Family Support Weekend to help children and young adults learn to live with diabetes.

There are over 15,000 people diagnosed with diabetes in South Worcestershire and an estimated 2,500 people who have diabetes but don’t know it. If you would like to make a donation to Diabetes UK or get involved with fundraising for the charity please contact Ellen Jurczak at Midlands@diabetes.org.uk.