Children with diabetes to benefit thanks to a donation from hospital charity

Children receiving treatment for diabetes at Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust have been learning how to manage their condition thanks to a donation from the Sherwood Forest Hospitals Charity.

The funds have allowed the diabetes team to run a group cooking session where participants learned how to prepare two healthy recipes – bean and cheese quesadillas on whole wheat wraps with salsa, and Chicken Chow Mein. 

Alan Franks, a Diet Chef who works in the Patient Catering Department at the Trust (which is run by Medirest, part of the Compass Group) helped attendees with the meal preparation and Dietitian Courtney Robinson assisted them in counting the carbohydrates in their meals (which is essential for keeping their blood sugars stable). Courtney also provided information about healthy eating and discussed food hygiene and safety in the kitchen with the support of Alan.

The sessions were a great way for the participants to meet other children with Type 1 diabetes, enabling them to gain support from their peers and giving them the confidence to manage their condition. The parent of one participant commented positively, saying: “He really enjoyed the group cooking session, and said it was really nice to meet other people with type one diabetes like himself.”

Next month, the department will be running another group session which will include an educational diabetes board game alongside support with carbohydrate counting, specifically for patients who are progressing from primary to secondary school.

To find out how you can support our charity, please visit our charity page.