One person who can see the wisdom in Lions donating funds to diabetes services, is Neville Lambert. Neville has been a Lions member for 33 years and has had Type 1 Diabetes for even longer.

Neville describes the diabetes education he and his wife have participated in several times, called the ‘Empowerment Course’, conducted by Hunter New England Health’s Diabetes Service in Newcastle, as the single best thing that has ever happened to him.

"As the name suggests, the course empowers participants with the knowledge about how to self manage your diabetes, without having to run to the diabetes educator or doctor all the time," Mr Lambert said.

Mr Lambert said he tests his blood glucose levels up to six times a day and thanks to the Empowerment Course is in a better position to be able to analyse the results. He says this training helps him to balance his intake of food, insulin and the amount of exercise he undertakes.

It’s a complex process, but Mr Lambert says he has lived with Type 1 Diabetes for so long it’s now just part of his daily routine.

He said the resources being made available to people with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes through the Diabetes Service have already helped many people like him to better manage their condition, as well as being able to enjoy life more.

"When I was first diagnosed, we were just told to cut out many foods. But these days they know much more about ‘carbohydrate exchanges’ and the ‘glycaemic index’ so that people can have much more choice in the food they eat.

"Having the knowledge makes it possible for you to make decisions about what you can do to help yourself," he said.

Program Development and Evaluation Officer with the Diabetes Service, Margaret Lewis, said the Lions N3 Diabetes Foundation has been extremely generous with their support for the printing of resource material for patients.

"We offer a recipe book to our clients who attend for education programs which not only provides recipes but also has hints on how to modify old favourites, to make them more ‘diabetes friendly’," she said.

Other resources donated include booklets to accompany the four group education programs the service offers – the Empowerment Course, Insulin Education Program, Type 2 Self Management Program and the Pre-Diabetes Self Management Program.

Ms Lewis said these resources provide very worthwhile information the clients can use to help them care for their condition on a day to day basis, and complement diabetes education in all its forms.

She said the Newcastle Diabetes Service, which recently moved to the new Newcastle Community Health Centre from the Royal Newcastle Hospital, provides a range of adult diabetes services, as well as offering a young people's transition clinic for patients moving from paediatric diabetes services.

To attend one of the programs or be seen by the credentialed diabetes educators, dietitians and medical staff, a written medical referral is needed. This should be mailed or faxed to the administration staff at the Newcastle Community Health Centre on:

Post Box 8, 670 Hunter Street, Newcastle, or

Fax to 4016 4653) with a request for a patient booking, or

Call 1300 855952 or 02 4016 4666.

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