East Algarve Walking football

For the next few months, EAWF will be raising funds and awareness in respect of diabetes. The fund raising will be from raffles and events organised by EAWF and a “one off” awareness event.

There are players among the teams who already have diabetes and others who have close family members with diabetes; they will be on hand and happy to discuss their own experiences, how this impacts on their life and, perhaps more importantly, explain and assist with how it is dealt with in the UK and what you need to do to be provided with similar health care in Portugal.

Below are the main differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Both types of diabetes are chronic diseases that affect the way your body regulates blood glucose (sugar).

• People with type 1 diabetes don’t produce insulin, which regulates your levels of glucose.
• There’s no cure for type 1 diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes don’t produce insulin, so it must be regularly injected into your body.
• People with type 2 diabetes have a serious condition where the insulin your pancreas makes cannot work properly, or your pancreas cannot make enough insulin.
• More importantly, type 2 diabetes can be controlled and even reversed with diet and exercise alone. Which is why Walking footballs ethos of fitness, fun and friendship can raise awareness and encourage and help to support those with type 2 diabetes, walking football could be a valuable tool in fighting and reversing this chronic illness.

For more information, visit diabetes.org.uk

To help kick start this campaign, health care professionals from Algarve Health and Social Care will be on hand to carry out simple finger-prick blood tests at all walking football sessions during the week commencing Monday 7th October.

This simple test takes less than 30 secs, and will tell you immediately if you have diabetes or are at high risk of having the disease.

The tests can be carried out discreetly, and people’s confidentiality will be respected. The test will be carried out for free or a small donation can be made to help raise more funds. Future events and information regarding this campaign will be published periodically.

Wives and partners are also encouraged to come along and take advantage of this opportunity.