Local children and young people with diabetes have benefited from generous donations to Hywel Dda Health Charities.

Thanks to these donations, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board has been able to fund educational sessions and activities for children and young people (CYPs) with diabetes.

The Paediatric Diabetes Service organises educational sessions for CYPs with diabetes who would be transferring from primary to secondary school.

The sessions cover a number of topics to help CYPs manage their diabetes in readiness to move to secondary school. The sessions include carbohydrate counting, managing day-to-day diabetes during the school day, monitoring glucose levels, managing high and low glucose levels, sick day rules and being active.

The service also organised a SEREN active education session at Nantgaredig Rugby Club, where CYPs took part in a fun interactive learning session on how to manage their diabetes when undertaking physical exercise. The CYPs were encouraged to participate in physical activities during the session which provided an opportunity for them to see how exercise affected their diabetes and how to safely manage their glucose levels.

The charity has also supported other sessions including a horse-riding session at the Rheidol Riding Centre in Aberystwyth, bowling at Xcel Bowl in Carmarthen and a paddle board session run by Outer Reef in Saundersfoot.

All the sessions encourage safe diabetes management and benefitted their emotional and psychological wellbeing by encouraging peer support.

Sian Southgate, Paediatrics Diabetes Nurse, said: “We’re extremely grateful that charitable funds have allowed the Paediatric Diabetes Service to organise the educational sessions and activity afternoons for the children and young people we support.

“The group settings give an opportunity for the CYPs to meet with other CYPs with diabetes outside the clinical settings. It helps promote and sustain good health in their lives.”

Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, said: “The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda and we are extremely grateful for every donation we receive.”

For more details about the charity and how you can help support local NHS patients and staff, go to www.hywelddahealthcharities.org.uk