On 14 November, World Diabetes Day, JDRF, the world’s leading type 1 diabetes research charity is announcing the results of its competition, giving sixty adults and children with type 1 diabetes the chance to attend the ‘Type 1 Parliament’ lobbying event taking place in Westminster on 25 April 2012. The charity’s Chief Executive Karen Addington, Adrian Sanders MP and Caroline Horwood, Diabetes Division Director at Sanofi met in Parliament to shortlist 60 adults and children who will have the opportunity to speak out about the issues and challenges they face through living with the condition to MPs and government officials. Visit our website for a picture of the group outside Parliament.¹

Adrian Sanders MP Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for diabetes is passionate about pushing type 1 diabetes up the political agenda. As a person living with type 1 diabetes, Adrian understands the reality of living with the condition. Caroline Nokes MP and Philip Dunne MP are also supporting the event. Caroline’s husband has type 1 diabetes and Philip’s daughter lives with the condition. Healthcare company Sanofi is Platinum Sponsor of type 1 Parliament.

Thejudges looked through over 200 applications and chose people who have shown dedication to raising awareness of the condition and a passion for encouraging greater investment into research of type 1. On World Diabetes Day and in the run up to type 1 Parliament next April, JDRF is encouraging all those affected by type 1 diabetes to make a difference by raising awareness of type 1.

Thirteen-year-old George Dove from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire has been chosen as co-chair of the lobbying event. George works tirelessly to spread the word about what it’s like living with type 1 diabetes. He was recently named Nottingham’s Young Person of the Year and since becoming involved with the charity has raised a staggering £35,000 to support research into the condition. Having spoken publicly about living with type 1 diabetes and why he supports JDRF in his mission to find the cure, George is well equipped to co-chair the type 1 Parliament event.

When finding out he has a place to attend the event, he said: “I am so excited to be representing JDRF at the Type 1 Parliament event, I feel really privileged. This is such a fantastic opportunity; to have a voice at this kind of event is amazing. I just hope Parliament listens and together, hopefully, we can make a difference.”

Sixteen year old Amy Wilton from Fareham, Hampshire will join George as Co-Chair of the event. Amy is a T1 Youth Ambassador who has represented JDRF by speaking at many of the charity's events including research Discovery Days and Walks to Cure Diabetes. Amy’s family does the Walk to Cure Diabetes each year too. Her mother Carole also plucked up the courage and participated in a sponsored sky dive with a friend to raise money to support JDRF’s vital research into finding the cure. Finally, in 2009 Amy travelled to Washington DC to be part of JDRF’s US Children’s Congress as the UK delegate.

She said: I was honoured to be asked to be Co-Chair of such a high profile event by JDRF and I am extremely excited about it. I hope that in doing so we can prove to the Government that more money needs to be put aside for research into finding a cure for type 1 diabetes, as well as raising awareness of the condition. Which surprisingly few people know little about still. I am really looking forward to April and having our say on the issue in the hope to change the opinions of the MPs, and to also meeting everyone else who has been invited to come to Parliament too."

Over the last few years, JDRF has successfully built awareness of type 1 diabetes and JDRF’s political presence within Westminster and the devolved administrations, campaigning on the postcode lottery on the provision of insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors and advocating the importance of funding medical research of type 1. In 2009 the UK Government, through the funding bodies Medical Research Council and National Institute of Health Research committed £51 million to research to tackle the growing problem of diabetes. Of this only £6 million² was applicable to type 1 diabetes. The UK falls way behind other developed countries, JDRF believes that this needs to change. Not only will greater investment in research ensure we find the cure for type 1 diabetes as soon as possible, it could also bring significant advantages to the UK economy.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

About type 1 diabetes

• Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, life-threatening condition that has a life-long impact on those diagnosed with it and their families. JDRF exists to find the cure for type 1 diabetes.
• People with type 1 diabetes rely on multiple insulin injections or pump infusions every day just to stay alive, until we find the cure.
• It normally strikes children and stays with them for the rest of their lives.
• Type 1 diabetes affects about 350,000 people in the UK, 26,000 of them children.
• Type 1 diabetes reduces life expectancy by up to 20 years.

About JDRF

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation exists to find the cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications, and is the world’s leading charitable funder of type 1 diabetes research. At a global level JDRF volunteers and staff have been responsible for raising over £900 million to support type 1 diabetes research since the charity’s inception.

¹ Photography Copyright of Dominic Clemence

² Figure is referenced from a letter received from Baroness Thornton on 12 April 2010, then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Health

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