The Diabetes Information Workshop

Date: 2 November 2022

We organised this workshop in collaboration with Homerton Hospital and Volunteer Centre Hackney and it was delivered by a Turkish speaking staff and a nurse. They prepared the table to carry out the diabetes testing. The nurse carried out the blood prick test to all the members at the workshop. Staff explained the symptoms of type 1 and 2 was explained, how it is diagnosed, how to prevent becoming type 2 diabetes patient, the portion sizes of a person should consume in a day and the importance of exercise was emphasized well.

The attendees were interested and engaged during the meeting. They actively participated in the presentation; thus, it was interactive. 5 participants were already diagnosed with diabetes, and after the blood prick test, several participants who are under risk to develop diabetes were identified. The group was fairly knowledgeable about the symptoms and risks of diabetes; however, they also admitted that they fail to exercise regularly or maintain a healthy diet even though they are aware of the risks. The meeting revealed the culture-specific barriers in battling diabetes, especially when it comes to dietary habits and lifestyle choices.

1 week later we asked them what they remember or have taken from the meeting. They mostly remembered info about portions and prevention/management methods. All of them expressed an interest in having a repeat of the finger-prick test to compare their results. One person said, “I knew nothing about diabetes before the meeting, I am so grateful for the information.” After the meeting, some of them have already started making a positive change in their lives: 3 of them started yoga and 1 started cycling. They also mentioned that they shared what they learned with their friends, family, and on social media.  To ensure our service users take tangible action in making changes in their lifestyles and diets, we proposed to take action. We have pledged to walk 40 minutes two days a week and report to each other next week. In short, we made sure there is a fun and engaging way to get them to promote positive action.   We are happy that we supported our members with very important topic and will carry on running similar workshops in the future.