A programme to help raise awareness of diabetes in Brent has completed training its first recruits and produced 11 ‘champions’.

Brent & Kilburn Times: Diabetes Champion Manjula Daley (Pic credit: Brent Council)Diabetes Champion Manjula Daley (Pic credit: Brent Council) (Image: Archant)

Brent has the highest number of diabetic residents in London with more than 23,000 people in the borough living with the condition.

The champions are all residents who volunteered in the scheme run by Diabetes UK in partnership with Brent Council.

It is hoped that the champions will be able to help raise awareness of the condition and to help prevent people developing Type 2 diabetes in Brent.

Type m 2 diabetes is linked to being overweight and having a bad diet.

Manjula Daley, from Wembley, who is one of the champions, said: “I have Type 2 diabetes myself which means I have to take medication and watch what I eat, monitoring my carbohydrates and sugars, but I don’t need to take insulin injections.

“Being a Diabetes Champion means that I can help make other people more aware of what diabetes is, what contributes to it, so that they look after themselves better and make healthier life choices.”

The champions collected their special certificates for completing the programme from Cllr Krupesh Hirani, Brent Council’s cabinet member for adults, health and wellbeing, at Brent Civic Centre.

Cllr Hirani said: “This programme is part of our work to create a much healthier borough and although some risk factors such as age, family history and ethnic origin can’t be changed, other risk factors involving a persons’ diet, their levels of exercise and lifestyle can be changed for the better.

“With our Diabetes Champions now trained and ready to go, I’m sure they will do a fantastic job in helping to make Brent a much healthier borough.”