27th November 2009 Volunteer’s Christmas Party, Feltham Assembly Hall,.
Our Social Secretary Asha Bawa organised a Christmas Party for our Committee Members and Volunteers at the “Assembly Hall” in Feltham and extended invitations to all members who had volunteered in 2009. 50 people attended of which there were 30 volunteers and 20 guests. The net cost to our social fund (after receiving contributions) amounted to £416. No funds received for charitable purposes were used for this event. Thank you to Asha for organising this successful event, it was appreciated by all.

November 2009 £5,000 Award from GlaxoSmithKlein
In November we won the GlaxoSmithKline Local Health Award and were given a cheque for £5,000 which was presented by Dame Jacqueline Docherty, Chief Executive of West Middlesex University Hospital and Ann Keen MP Parliamentary Under Secretary for Health. This Award recognised our work in running a diabetes patient support group, our diabetes awareness desks at Hospitals, and our Diabetes Prevention Stands at local Road Shows. A big thank you to the Directors and Judges at GlaxoSmithKline.

1st August 2009 David Cahill Re appointed as Non Executive Director of NHS Hounslow.
David Cahill was reappointed as a Non Executive Director of Hounslow PCT on 1st August 2009 for a further 4 years.

2009 Interaction with West Middlesex University Hospital (WMUH)
We signed a formal operating agreement with WMUH that contained what information we will distribute from our Diabetes Information Desk; what additional services we will offer to patients in hospital ward beds; volunteers’ administration; what commitment we can expect from the hospital; what commitment we will give to WMUH; the operation of the desk on additional days; and the interaction with other patient support groups.

24th June 2009 London Health Commission Awards Film Preview
In 2008 we were shortlisted down to the last 3 finalists in the first of the prestigious London Health Commission (LHC) Awards in the “Partnership working with the NHS” category. Our nomination was in relation to Type 2 diabetes and obesity growing at an alarming rate, where our group aimed to influence the general public through our diabetes awareness desks and roadshows to make lifestyle changes in order to prevent or delay developing diabetes; and where we made people aware of the symptoms and offered support to people with diabetes to enable them to better self-manage their condition. As part of the prize for being shortlisted, the Commission made a film of us (and other shortlisted candidates) at work. The film was previewed at this Event.

13th June 2009 £1,179 from Sponsored Walk, Lampton Park,
Jasbir Chana organised a sponsored walk round Lampton Park where we raised £1179.

15th May 2009 £304 from Dinner & Dance, at Montagu Hall,
Asha Bawa organised a very successful Dinner & Dance at Montagu Hall, Hounslow where we raised £304.

29th April 2009 Opening of additional Day for our Diabetes Information Desk at Heart of Hounslow Health Centre.
On 29th April 2009 we started to open the desk at the Health Centre on every Wednesday from 9.00am to 12.00am. This was in addition to being open every Thursday from 1.00pm to 4.00pm

29th April 2009 Heart of Hounslow Health Centre opens as Polyclinic
On 29th April 2009 the Heart of Hounslow Health Centre, became the first Polyclinic to open in the Country.
We started our Wednesday opening of our Diabetes Awareness Desk to coincide with this special opening day. This health centre is the largest in Europe and is the NHS’s Flagship Polyclinic with the most number of onsite health services, that other polyclinics will strive to open. We hope this will encourage other Diabetes UK Voluntary Groups to open Diabetes Awareness Desks in Health Centre Polyclinics as well.

20th January 2009 Chairman David Cahill’s visit the House of Commons,
The year 2009 was Diabetes UK’s 75th Anniversary. Douglas Smallwood Chief Executive of Diabetes UK extended an invitation to David Cahill to represent Diabetes UK by attending a reception at the House of Commons to launch celebrations for our anniversary year and to meet with MPs. It also enabled us to lobby Parliament for improved healthcare treatment of diabetes.

For earlier news items see Chairman’s annual report.