News

2007 - Selected Charity Of The Year

The new Mayor of Bromley, is Cllr Pauline Tunnicliffe, from Orpington. In her recent acceptance speech she stated that she is proud and delighted at being chosen to represent Bromley as it’s Mayor. She is looking forward to meeting as many people across the borough as possible during her year in office, highlighting all the wonderful work that goes on locally and celebrating our achievements. The Mayor has chosen our group, The Bromley Diabetes Support Group as her charity for the year. We feel very privileged and look forward to working with her over the coming year in giving a high profile to the plight of diabetes in the borough.

2006 - Diabetes Research and Development

Each year the Group donates a sum of money to Diabetes UK Research specifically the 2006 donation was £2,300.  From 2000 to 2006 our donations totalled a huge £14,731 - thank you for your support

2006 - Fighting Discrimination On The Front Line

We were lucky to get Tim Savage come to talk to us at our AGM.  He is an insulin Dependent Diabetic who was a Metropolitan Police Officer with a story to tell, being instrumental in changing the Police views on diabetics.  In January this year, the first diabetic male was recruited and the second, a female to follow shortly.  Tim completed 30 years service and for over 28 of them was on insulin.

When he first became diabetic he went to see his Chief Medical Officer expecting to be shown the door.  He was told he would let Tim stay in service but expected him to leave shortly – not being able to cope.  Although this was distressing to hear, it had the opposite effect on Tim and was determined to prove him wrong.

So Tim started his career by trial and error and facing constant applications and then rejection.  He was sent on a firearms course after his boss saw his disappointment which he passed with flying colours.  This led to him being posted as security at 10 Downing Street.

Tim then went on to drive police cars which made a huge difference to his career. Tim was still very fit and was top in the Territorial Support Group Fitness Test.  In 1993 Tim was told that a decision had been made to no longer allow diabetics to drive emergency vehicles.  This ended 10 years of emergency driving because a decision at the top had decided it was too dangerous to let Tim and other diabetics continue.

Not letting this news of discrimination get Tim down, he started the National Police Diabetic Association which now has 120 members.  With Diabetes UK, Tim lobbied at Parliament.  It worked because on the 1st October 2004, the Disability Discrimination Act came into affect police and fire services.

2005 - Crofton Junior School

Last summer, Crofton Junior School chose Diabetes UK as their charity for a week. For a period each day, years 3 and 4 held various fundraising events including cake and smoothie sales.

The magnificent sum of £1368.10 has been added to our support group funds. Helen Robertson from our group attended assembly and thanked the children, teachers and head teacher, Christine Fisher for the wonderful work they have done for the group.

The school have requested that the money raised should be put towards holidays for diabetic children, run by Diabetes UK. They will be running these holidays next year, so watch this space

2005 & 2006 - Music to our ears with XBY Concert Band

The Croydon Welsh Society held wonderful musical annual events  with the award winning XBY Concert Band - the Bromley Diabetic Support Group being their charity.  The evenings raised a tremendous sum of £510 in 2005 and £636 in 2006

We would like to thank the Croydon Welsh Society for arranging the evening and for choosing us to be there charity. We would also like to wish the XBY Concert Band the best of luck in their competitions this year!

2004 - Opening of the new Diabetes Centre

The opening of the new Diabetes Centre in February 2004 at Orpington Hospital was a real success.  It was great to see so many members. Dr Ken Brown opened the new Diabetes Centre and was joined by the Deputy Mayor and Mayoress of Bromley.

2003 - The Group raised £4,000 for diabetic children at the Princess Royal University Hospital.

The DCA 2000 machine enables youngsters to test their HbA1C in just 6 minutes. It is less painful and more convenient than the original laboratory test. Cash for the machine was raised by our Group and is used in the children's clinic for treating 70 children with diabetes.

Dr Martha Ford Adams said 'the children of the diabetic clinic are very pleased with their new machine. I want to thank fundraisers at the Bromley Support Group'