Diabetes Help Tauranga can now provide more services to those at risk in the Western Bay of Plenty, thanks to a $15,000 donation from TECT.

Diabetes Help Tauranga manager Debbie Cunliffe says the organisation has been around for more than 30 years, and provides education and support for people living with diabetes.

'Diabetes, mainly type two, currently affects over 10,000 people in the Bay and it is likely a further 5000 have either type two diabetes, or are at risk of developing type two diabetes,” says Debbie.

'Increasingly people are also getting diagnosed with type one, which is not related to lifestyle choices. There's no particular person who will get type one diabetes – it's just one of those things that happens.”

She says the funding from TECT allows the Diabetes Help Tauranga Nurse Educator to see more clients for support and education and provide more screening.

'They've been amazing. This is the second time we applied for operational costs from TECT and been successful. Without them we would probably struggle with our day-to-day operations.”

Debbie says the funds will go towards salaries and clinical resources for their programmes, which they run across the Western Bay of Plenty.

'We just ran a very successful course out at Katikati in collaboration with the Katikati medical Centre, which was very well-received. And once a month I run a clinic in Te Puke for people with diabetes.”

And their services aren't just for people who have diabetes – friends and family members can also seek advice.

'We‘re getting a lot more family and friends contacting us with concerns about loved ones, because often the person in question can't see what's happening – that their blood sugar or weight is creeping up. So people ask us for advice on how to encourage their friends or relatives to make better choices.”

For more information, visit www.diabeteshelp.org.nz.