Worcestershire man continuing work around improving provision for those with diabetes to access exercise
Footballer from Redditch Chris Bright, who has type 1 diabetes himself, helped get the 'Diabetes in Sport' debate to parliament in September after raising the issue with his MP
A Worcestershire footballer calling for greater support to enable people with diabetes to participate in sport has said he wants recent progress made on the topic to continue this year.
35-year-old Chris Bright from Redditch has type 1 diabetes and approached his MP Chris Bloore in June last year as he wants to see better provision made for people with it and type 2 to give them fair access to physical activity.
This led to the first ever 'Diabetes in Sport' debate being held in parliament in September, with Mr Bright going on to meet the government's Secretary of State for Sport Stephanie Peacock later in November to further discuss the subject.
Mr Bright, who's represented Wales' national futsal squad and is also a University of Worcester graduate, founded and still runs The Diabetes Football Community, a national network supporting footballers with the condition, as well as their families.
Alongside that he works for charity Breakthrough T1D UK who commissioned a survey focused on the barriers for people with diabetes participating in sport and physical activity which was part of the findings he's used alongside other studies to highlight the issue.
He said he's been encouraged by the progress made last year but it's important to keep the conversations around the subject going throughout this one to help break down those barriers and get rid of any stigma,
"We're on that trajectory now where I think, and I hope, change is on the horizon for people with diabetes in sport," he said.
"I think the response has been as positive as I was going to expect, but actually when you look at the evidence, I think it's quite obvious.
"It's not damning as such, but it really does point to where we need to take some action and actually we're on the path now of developing that action plan and and where we head next.
We're also just hopefully going to start changing that perception, I think diabetes has long had a stigma and stereotype around it which suggests inactivity and hopefully with this work we can start to change that perception of diabetes within physical activity, exercise and sport."
There's currently no cure for type 1 diabetes - where the body cannot make a hormone called insulin, which is also something that cannot be prevented.
For type 2 diabetes though - where the body cannot make enough of a hormone called insulin - it can be prevented and managed with diet and exercise, or medicines.
Charity Diabetes UK estimate more than 5.8 million people in the UK are living with diabetes and nearly 1.3 million people could be living with type 2 diabetes who are yet to be diagnosed.