Sessions to prevent Type 2 diabetes and improve knowledge of condition

Free fitness and healthy eating workshops will be staged in Leicester over the next five months for people from minority ethnic communities as part of a county-wide health campaign.

The campaign called Raising Awareness and prevention of Type 2 DIAbeTEs (RADIATE) is a new drive to raise awareness of the condition in ethnic minority communities in Leicestershire.

It is being organised by the Centre for Black and Minority Ethnic Health East Midlands.

Dr Natalie Darko, who is a Community Lead Researcher at the centre and part of our Diabetes Research Centre and is leading the programme, said: “This is about increasing knowledge about the consequences of Type 2 diabetes through a six-month community engagement programme.

“People from minority ethnic groups are at a disproportionate risk of Type 2 diabetes and experiencing associated complications. There are also often barriers in place preventing people from ethnic communities receiving the care, knowledge and understanding they need to enable them to avoid developing Type 2 diabetes.”

The project is supported by the National Institute for Health Research’s Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) East Midlands, a partnership of regional health services, universities and industry which turns research into cost-saving and high-quality care through cutting-edge innovation.