A group of young people with diabetes enjoyed a Rockinghorse funded weekend of activities and fun.
Young people learning to manage a diagnosis of diabetes can sometimes feel isolated; not knowing anyone else with the condition to talk to about their experiences.
So having a chance to meet up with other young people in the same situation for a weekend of activities and fun can really help to build confidence, make new friends and learn that they aren’t alone in their situation.
This is why the Diabetes Team at Worthing and Chichester Hospitals run an annual weekend residential trip for around 30 young people managing Diabetes.
The most recent weekend took place in an activity centre near Chichester, with 27 young people staying in a fantastic boat on the river and enjoying activities like kayaking and tunnelling.
The groups were also able to spend time on the first day talking about their worries and fears about their condition and sharing experiences with each other.
On the Saturday evening the group gathered in the nearby field to enjoy a campfire, sing songs and toast marshmallows followed by some fun outdoor games.
Then on Sunday the group, split into two teams, embarked on a range of different activities designed to earn clues and items that would help then in a final task. The teams showed strong communication and worker really well together to solve problems and complete the challenge.
Not only was this a great experience for the young people involved but it also provided much needed respite for their families, in the safe knowledge that their children were in expert hands.
Paul Peacock, the Youth Worker from Worthing Hospital who helped organise the weekend said, “The weekend offers young people the chance to grow in their diabetes management abilities, under the guidance of a multidisciplinary team including Diabetes Specialist Consultants, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Dietitians, Clinical Psychologists, and Youth Workers.
This experience also enables participants to manage their condition with greater confidence and autonomy and helps build trust with healthcare professionals, making future interactions less intimidating.
And of course, the whole weekend was absolutely brilliant fun!”
This really is a great project that really helps these young people learn how to manage their condition both now, and for the future and we are incredibly proud to be able to fund it.
Find out more about the projects we fund on our Projects page here.
