Diabetes UK Becomes The First Charity To Create An Equality And Diversity Team

Main Category: Diabetes
Article Date: 27 Jun 2008 - 0:00 PST

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

Diabetes UK has become the first charity in the UK to create an Equality and Diversity team. The team is dedicated to helping diverse groups including black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, people with learning disabilities, prisoners and gypsies.

The team includes four Diverse Community Officers (DCOs) who each cover London, the South East, West Midlands and the North West and are led by Diabetes UK Equality and Diversity Manager Jenne Dixit.

Raise awareness

The DCOs will raise awareness of diabetes by building relationships with organisations from diverse groups. They will work with link workers, health care professionals, social workers, community psychiatric nurses and staff from the voluntary sector. Other diverse communities that we will reach out to include homeless people, refugees and people in residential and institutional care.

Grass-root level

"Diabetes UK's commitment to meeting the needs of vulnerable and hard to reach groups has resulted in an increased role for working at a grass-root level. We want to identify the needs of these communities and develop, maintain and evaluate services to meet those needs," said Jenne Dixit.

"This is an important and exciting new project which will benefit thousands of people who would otherwise be in the dark about diabetes and the serious complications it can cause."

Diabetes UK