At the start of this year my 11 year old daughter, Anna, was unexpectedly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Like many, the impact of diabetes was something I had never really given much consideration to - I had always assumed it was relatively straight forward to treat. It was only when faced with the reality of how it affected my own family that I began to understand the full implications.

There are 4.6 million people in the UK living with diabetes. It is estimated that every day 65 people with diabetes die early. Every week, thousands more suffer heart attacks, heart failure, strokes, kidney disease, blindness and amputations. It is a condition which affects life every single day, with no known cure. Yet.

However, when people manage their condition well, they can often avoid these life threatening complications and stay healthy. Diabetes UK is a charity set up to help people do this. They provide support to people and families living with diabetes, and are at the forefront of research into treating it. Their vision is to create a world where diabetes can do no harm.

To support the work of Diabetes UK, a team of us from Ryder will be taking part in a charity trek from the Kings House Hotel to Fort William on 30 June, covering 25 miles within 12 hours.  I would genuinely appreciate your support to help us raise funds for this worthwhile cause. Donations can be made by following the link below to our Just Giving page. Thank you.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.