'Your Vision' Blackburn Awareness Event A Big Success, UK

Main Category: Diabetes
Article Date: 09 Nov 2007 - 3:00 PDT

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As part of the Diabetes UK 'Your Vision' campaign, a successful event took place in Blackburn to help improve awareness of retinopathy and diabetes in general in the East Lancashire region.

The event was organised on Friday 2 November at Bangor Street Health Resource Centre. Diabetes UK staff was on hand to provide advice and information on retinopathy and representatives of East Lancashire PCT were also present.

The event, organised by Project Coordinator Juliet Enever, aimed to help target local hard-to-reach communities as people from socially-deprived communities and from South Asian backgrounds are especially less likely to access diabetes services in the region.

Around 50 people attended, most from local Muslim communities. Around half were able to book a digital retinal screening test with East Lancashire PCT on the day.

"It is important that we target people from ethnic minorities and socially deprived communities so that all people with diabetes have equal access to information on the importance of retinal screening," said Jenne Dixit, Equality and Diversity Manager at Diabetes UK.

"This event was a fantastic opportunity to meet with the local communities and to provide them with relevant information. It was also a great way for Diabetes UK to work successfully in collaboration with East Lancashire PCT."

http://www.diabetes.org.uk