Inspirational Elgin volunteer wins top accolade from Diabetes Scotland for years of service
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AN ELGIN man has been awarded a charity’s top volunteering award for dedicating more than a decade to helping diabetes sufferers.
Volunteer Dave Duff was presented with Diabetes Scotland’s top accolade, The John Ireland Award, for serving the diabetes community with distinction over 12 years.
As well as being the chairman of the Diabetes Scotland Moray Group for several years and helping the group to raise more than £50,000, Dave has served for two terms on Diabetes UK’s Council of People with Diabetes, as well as on Diabetes Scotland’s Advisory Council. He is a member of the charity’s research grants panel and a regular participant at the Cross Party Group on Diabetes at the Scottish Parliament.
Dave said: "I am extremely honoured to win The John Ireland Award in recognition of my work in the charity both locally and nationally.
"However, I have not been a one-man band. I’m part of a great team of people who are all working towards a world where diabetes can do no harm.
"Working with Diabetes UK and Diabetes Scotland has helped me gain so much more understanding about the condition. I have been able to pass on this knowledge to support others who are living with diabetes, and hopefully help make their lives a bit easier."
In his time as chair of the Diabetes Scotland Moray Group, Dave was instrumental in building up relationships with local healthcare professionals to make many thousands of information packs available to people in the area after a diabetes diagnosis.
Dave and his wife, Anne, also volunteered at many Diabetes UK family weekends and supported local families to attend. These residential events are for children who have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and their families to learn more about living with the condition.
He has supported many members of the community who had particular challenges with their diabetes and the charity said his "care and kindness was always evident".
Dave added: "There have been many individual moments where you just know how worthwhile it all is but probably the best times are on the Sunday afternoons at the Diabetes UK type 1 family weekends. That’s when you can see children with diabetes, their siblings and parents transformed from shy uncertainty on their arrival to leaving with the confidence that they can deal with this condition."
Angela Mitchell, national director of Diabetes Scotland, said: "We are delighted to present Dave with the John Ireland Award in recognition of his many years serving the diabetes community with distinction. His contribution over the years has been invaluable and we would like to express a heartfelt thanks for all he has done and continues to do to support people living with diabetes."
Diabetes is a condition where there is too much glucose in the blood because the body cannot use it properly. If not managed well, both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can lead to devastating complications.
