Diabetes leaders receive award for work
Two women dedicated to raising awareness of diabetes have received a special award.
Lucinda Dell and Paramjit Sunar have been awarded the Citizen of the Year award by the Wolverhampton Lions Club in recognition for their work organising and running the Wolverhampton Diabetes peer support group.
The award acknowledges the good work and help given to a community, neighbourhood or friend.
It also allows members of the public to recognise and acknowledge the work a person has carried out.
Both winners have worked tirelessly in the community to raise awareness of the disease and help as many people as possible through the peer support group.
The group attracts people from varied backgrounds and communities and provides a service to not only people living with diabetes, but to their family, friends and carers, giving access to all the support services required to help someone adjusting to the disease.
Both winners also support Wolverhampton Diabetes Care at awareness events and talk to under-represented communities, including organisations that work with those who have mental and emotional health needs.
Paramjit recognised the need for a diabetic community group after being diagnosed herself with diabetes and finding the need for support.
She said: “I feel so honoured to be recognised with this award for the work we do. I didn’t realise how big the work we were doing was until Lucinda and I found out we’d won the award, so I’m just over the moon.
“Winning the award will make it easier for us to network and advertise our group and we have a lot of ideas of how to raise awareness of diabetes as not everyone is fully aware of all the complications around the disease.”
Lucinda has been a volunteer at Compton Care and New Cross Hospital and, for the last 13 years, has been a co-ordinator for The Inspirational Ladies Group, which organises Line and Ballroom dancing as well as Yoga and Zumba classes.
She said: “It’s really lovely and great to have won the award. I have to admit I wasn’t expecting it, but it’s a lovely honour which I can share with my daughters.
“The fact that Pam and I have won the award is significant as we can take into the group and encourage more people to come along and listen and learn more about diabetes, so we can really influence people through it.”
Paramjit and Lucinda were also presented with a cheque for £150 for their chosen charity, Diabetes UK.
