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Ireland: Teen Activity Days empower young people with type 1 diabetes

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Published on Monday, 10 August 2015 12:35

Diabetes Ireland’s Teen Activity Day was held on 10 July in activity centres around Ireland and was attended by children with type 1 diabetes between the ages of 10 to 16 years. Diabetes Ireland organises these events to support and empower young people living with type 1 diabetes by creating an opportunity for them to meet others with the same condition in a safe environment. The Teen Activity Days are meant to be fun and enjoyable, and enable young people to feel included and high-spirited about themselves and their condition.

Respectively 14 and 27 young people attended the two Teen Days, and the volunteers at the events were diabetes nurses as well as young adults that were also living with type 1 diabetes. Activities for the two days included archery, human foosball, blindfolded obstacle courses, water trampoline, climbing and canoeing. Each teen was given an opportunity to show their strengths and develop new skills from the variety of activities offered, and the activities encouraged team work, negotiation and friendship. The days were very successful, with many satisfied and tired faces heading home at the end of the day.

Vicky Doyle, one of the young adult volunteers who is also living with type 1 diabetes, says: “The teen day is a great way for young people to come together, talk about their diabetes and have fun. I feel it was a great event to be involved in and a good opportunity to impart some of my knowledge about the condition and help others”.

For more information about these activities, go to Diabetes Ireland’s webpage or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..