In 2024, our Cork Care Centre was a hive of activity, with staff working hard each day to support the local diabetes community.

Over the years, the centre has become a valued local resource service for people seeking support and information on the many facets of diabetes and also in providing a range of practical care services in the areas of diabetic retina screening, podiatry and one to one counselling. Last year, approximately 9,750 people living with diabetes physically attended the Centre to avail of one or more of our care services. A further 600 people contacted the centre to speak directly with our staff on various aspects of diabetes management.

Diabetes Ireland also focussed on providing opportunities for young local people with diabetes and their families to come together and meet other families. Local staff members, Charlotte Pearson and Marion Sheehan along with a number of volunteer parents, organised a number of local activities including a fun day in Mardyke Arena, a family walk and a Christmas Party with over 90 children and their families taking part in one or more events.

They also organised a summer outing to Dunmore East Activity Centre for local adolescents with Type 1 diabetes to have some fun and meet their peers and a weekend camp in Barretstown, run in conjunction with the paediatric diabetes team in Cork University Hospital.

An event to meet Diabetes Ireland Ambassador, and Cork protégé, Jake O’Brien who plays for Everton and is Republic of Ireland senior international was also held for local families where Jake shared his experience of living with Type 1 diabetes and encouraged the children to learn to manage their diabetes effectively and to not allow it to be a barrier to achieving their life dreams.

An education meeting for parents of adolescents with Type 1 diabetes was also held in UCC where Ms Shirley Beattie, Senior Dietitian, CUH spoke on sport and nutrition for teens with diabetes.

In conjunction with the adult diabetes team in Tralee General Hospital, an information meeting was held in Tralee, Co. Kerry with 160 attendees. Speakers included Ms Shirley Beattie, Senior Dietitian, Cork University Hospital on diet and exercise and Ms Catherine Brady who spoke about her own life experience of living with Type 1 Diabetes and being a multi world championship winning kickboxer. At the same event, a ceremony to recognise the achievements of local people who have lived well with diabetes for 50 years was also held with 11 people being recognised and awarded with commemoration medals.

Behind the scenes, local staff also worked to make things easier for children with Type 1 diabetes while at school.  With local paediatric diabetes experts from Cork University Hospital, we delivered a webinar to 170 schools across Cork and Kerry to help them prepare and manage any diabetes related situation that may arise during the school day and also delivered a number of diabetes awareness events in local workplaces.

Diabetes Ireland continued its work with the Cork University Hospital (CUH) paediatric diabetes team to bring Digibete, the multi-award-winning digital diabetes self-management resource to Cork. This is a licence-based resource programme, being funded by Diabetes Ireland, and provided free to HSE paediatric diabetes teams to help improve care services to children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes and their families. At 31 December 2024, 293 families of children and teens living with diabetes in Cork were using the programme.

Charlotte Pearson said “our goal is to support local people with diabetes as best we can within our resources. Working with the HSE Diabetic RetinaScreen programme, the diabetes teams in the various local hospitals and other stakeholders, we are planning to do more of the same in 2025. If you, or a family member are living with diabetes and you would like some help or advice, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us”.

Our Cork Care Centre, based in Mary Street, Cork is open Monday -Friday 9am to 5pm. You can contact us on 021 4274229 or email us at [email protected].  These services are funded through a mix of local HSE funding, direct and third party fundraising all of which is greatly appreciated as it enables us to meet the needs of the local diabetes community”  added Charlotte.