I am very honoured to serve as Corporate Chair for the 2011 Scotland Walk/Run to Cure Type 1 Diabetes. After the walks great success last year we have had an exciting challenge for 2011.                                              

Our goal is to raise £250,000.00.                                                  

 

To achieve this we need at least 2000 walkers to join us on the walk

or run, to cure diabetes on Sunday 4th Sept in 

 Hazlehead Park.                                                                                                      

This year’s participants can take part in a 5k Sunday stroll, a 7.5k

power walk or The Taqua 10k recorded run for the more energetic.

I personally, nor my family are affected by type 1 diabetes and frankly

this time last year I had very little knowledge of the condition.                                                                                                   

That was until I was invited along to the annual JDRF Ball, where I

began to understand some of the shocking facts. More than 27,000

people in Scotland have type 1, this is one of the highest incidences

in the world. A child diagnosed at 5 years old will perform upwards of

6 finger prick blood tests a day, that’s over 2000 a year and almost

30,000 by the time they reach 18. In addition to this, they will inject

themselves a further 2000 times each year with insulin.                                         

That’s another 26,000 painful injections before they even reach

adulthood. You can start to get a picture of what it must be like to live

with type 1.

 

Type 1 does not only impact on the family; it also has severe

implications for the NHS. Treating diabetes and its complications

costs £5.2M each year, 9% of overall NHS budget.

Type 1 accounts for 4.3% of that spend.

 

So just think what finding a cure for type 1 would really mean!         

 

A cure will be found, but only, if people like us can raise the

awareness of type 1 and encourage our friends, family and

employees to help by getting involved and support the tremendous

efforts of the JDRF staff, so research may continue and a cure

found.

Participating in the walk or run to cure diabetes also makes good business sense. Organising a corporate team is a great employee relations programme.  The walk is a family oriented event that encourages employees to participate under the umbrella of their company, whilst involving spouses, children and friends. It provides a great chance to work together on a non work related project. Corporate teams, build team spirit and camaraderie.                                                                         

Treat the walk itself as an end celebration, or culmination of a couple

of months fundraising activities within your company.

 

Company Sponsorship Opportunities

 

Instead of organising a walk team from your company, an alternative

would  be for your company to consider a sponsorship package for

the event. There is available material for you to review, this can be

obtained from the JDRF website, your company may wish to support

the Walk to Cure Diabetes in this way.

 

Corporate support is the backbone of the walk and with your help will

insure its ongoing success. I am delighted that Oteac will be

sponsoring the events as a Platinum sponsor, Subsea 7 as a Gold

Sponsor. Taqa as our Race sponsor, other sponsors

include Brudolff Hotels, Marathon, Petrofac, Aberdeen Asset

Management, ITS, Intermoor, Wood Group, Entier Ltd, ASCO

Transport and A-line Media as our audio Visual Sponsors. 

 

OTHER FUNDRAISING EVENTS

 

I am proud to announce that my company Oteac Integrated Safety

Services Ltd, employing 55 staff will be entering several teams to

walk and run at this event.                                                                   

 

In addition my MD Bill Hogarty and I, successfully carried a out a

sponsored cycle from Aberdeen to Edinburgh around the coast,

totalling 180 miles, we achieved this over 3 days, arriving at Holyrood 

on the 9th of June at a Spinal injuries and JDRF reception.  We are

still receiving money for this event and hope to raise close to £10k.                                                                           

My wife Shonagh held a 3 night event at our home at Strathieburn

with a Come Dine with Us theme.  On the 3 evenings we had 30

dinner guests, accompanied by, full Scottish musical entertainment. 

Local friends helped out at this event, cooking, serving and

entertaining, each night proving to be very successful.  

 

The idea of these evenings  was to encourage others to host an

event throughout the year which could be  a drinks party   -   dinner

party  -   barbeque,  in fact any type of event, but asking their guests

to make a donation towards JDRF. 

 

This commenced well, with a lady and work colleagues holding a

bring and buy sale at their work which raised £500.00, a 92 year old

woman and her friends organised and held a coffee morning at their

resource centre raising £450.00. Other friends held a drinks

reception on the Wimbledon Ladies Final day at their new tennis

court and pavilion raising £2k?

 

A Forth Coming Event for your Diary

 

FASHION SHOW ’11  -  CINDERELLA THEME – 30th August 2011

 

My wife Shonagh has organised an enchanting night of fashion in

support of JDRF, being held at The Marcliffe at Pitfodles at 7.30pm.

The evening will showcase a wide range of collections from the

Autumn / Winter 2011 ranges, this evening promises to be full of glitz

and glamour featuring numerous up to date styles for

every occasion.

 

Tickets can be purchased from www.jdrf.org.uk, alternatively e-mail

info@ascotswelcome.co.uk

 

So please remember, the reason for forming a team is to raise

sponsorship money, however this should be enjoyable, it is our

intention to raise as much money as possible and highlight

awareness for this very worthwhile cause.