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The Barnaby Voluntary Support Group is a branch of the national group charity Diabetes UK. The group has been working for the upliftment of diabetes sufferers as well as education on the condition for the past twenty years. It is facing an untimely demise because of the lack of volunteers to keep the group operational.
The group has been conducting many talks with diabetes experts in the suburb of Barnaby. The Reverend David Jackson heads the group and often holds its meetings at the St. Francis Church in Highlands. He would be retiring in a year’s time and is unsure of the future of the group.
Rev. Jackson is a diabetic himself and has undergone quadruple heart bypass so the need for him to retire and rest is paramount. Like many others in the group, they have been doing double time with the Reverend himself as treasurer and secretary for the group.
Mr Jackson said: “We really are at crisis point. Without officers we can not operate as a group.” He added, “For many people who are newly diagnosed it’s a shock that they’ve got this life sentence. They’re going to be diabetic for the rest of their days.” He further lamented, “At that particular time there’s almost a sense of bereavement and people need support around them.”
The group has been raising over £4,000 a year for Diabetes UK. The group provides not only education and expertise, but also support for those with the disease and their family members who suffer alongside them. He laments that for such an established group the demise is near, what more so for other newer diabetes charities throughout the UK. He foresees a major loss not only as sources of revenue for the national charity but many others would be left out in the cold when facing such a debilitating condition.
Simple things such as education and tips on eye problems on how to handle them, or for foot problems to avoid amputation to more major problems such as managing diabetes and coronary disease are what groups such as the Barnaby Voluntary Support Group does at the grassroots level for Diabetes UK. If no new members and volunteers step forward, then the remaining members would have to decide whether to continue with their objectives or scale back their activities to merely fundraising.
This the group would decide on October 11, 2010.
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