Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa

30/09/2025

Diabetes NZ have announced their campaign for their Diabetes Action Month in November (IDF World Diabetes Day in support of diabetes in the workplace is the 14th November). The campaign about being more physically active in support of the many people being diagnosed with diabetes.

30/09/2025

Great job by the Silverfit group in Otara completing their Just Cook programme!
https://www.diabetesfoundationaotearoa.nz/blog/post/153258/just-cook-healthy-aging-and-the-silverfit-group/

17/09/2025

Here's something we can all do for diabetes awareness. As part of the International Diabetes Federation World Diabetes Day campaign (November 14), there's a call to action letter template that can be filled out and sent to your national health representative and to the United Nations in Geneva to request that they do more to help achieve the World Health Organization (WHO) diabetes coverage targets by 2030. Link here

12/09/2025

More from the amazing people who put together the Te Pou Whirinaki O Mate Huka resource website. This YouTube channel has video stories from people with type 2 diabetes and those who live with and care for them. https://www.youtube.com/

27/08/2025

Put 14 November in your diary for World Diabetes Day, this year the focus is on raising awareness of the challenges in the workplace.

The time of the year is coming up where there are international and local efforts to raise the awareness of diabetes.   On 14 November this year it is IDF (International Diabetes Federation)

09/07/2025

Amazing things happening Epsom Community Library

26/06/2025

Kia Ora

The Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa Gardens4Health team are looking for an enthusiastic and self-directed person with outstanding knowledge and practical skills in sustainable food gardening. As part of this exciting initiative to “make food gardening the norm” this part time role provides guidance to community groups setting up and maintaining community gardens in Tamaki Makaurau.

If you are keen and think this is a great opportunity, please apply.

Link provided below to apply.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/jobs/agriculture-fishing-forestry/horticulture/auckland/north-shore-city/part-time/listing/5387755069

If you do have questions, please feel free to phone Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa.

Kia pai to ra.

23/06/2025

Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa is delighted to be working with the excellent people at Auckland Council offering training and support for a network of volunteer 'Different Dinners activators'. Activators receive training and resources to run teaching sessions in their communities for whanau, friends and contacts, with the aim of encouraging more plant based eating.

We are getting some amazing reports back about the difference being made by the Activators who have been through the training already, we are in AWE of what they are doing! Remaining places for training/support are limited and if you are interested in becoming a Different Dinners Activator, get in touch with Diana by emailing workplace@diabetesfoundationaotearoa.nz. To get more of an idea of the sorts of recipes being encouraged, there are some popular recipes to try at home here https://livelightly.nz/different-dinners-diabetes-foundation-recipe-book/

Thanks to Auckland Council for their innovative thinking and getting behind spreading the important message that eating more plants is great for health, prevention of diseases such as diabetes, and just as importantly, good for our environment.

22/06/2025

Lifestyle Team leader Diana, along with other representatives from Aotearoa attended the Global Patient Partnership Summit: Patient Powered Progress in Action this month in Kuala Lumpur. She joined fifty individuals from the advocacy community from across the region who met to share ideas on how to make meaningful changes to improve health outcomes by including patients and carers from the start. Amazing examples were shared of how partner organisations are demonstrating progress through powerful insights of lived experience and bold plans to do better for all. It was agreed it is an imperative to invest in early detection and prevention of progression for Patient groups across many diseases sharing learnings and forming collaborations. Treat the patient as a person.... not a disease. Every person is a patient. Insights from the summit will help inform a new white paper to guide governments on how to meaningfully involve patients in the development and implementation of health policies for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health.

Thank you Boehringer Ingelheim for the opportunity to participate and establish contacts locally and across the region. Special thanks to Sarah and Kate.

04/06/2025

Press release from NZSSD (the real one!) warning about fake information particularly on social media. We've posted examples of this sort of thing in the past, with the growth of AI however, it's clear greater care has to be taken regarding where information comes from.

27/05/2025

Well it's been a busy time since we had the news back in early May that we were taking on the NZ Nutrition Foundation programmes, the very well received Just Cook Tika Tunu and Just Cook Healthy Aging. Thanks to Diana and her husband Kevin for the trips across the bridge with car and trailer prepared for heavy lifting, and to team members from both organisations for all the hard mahi shifting boxes of papers and other important items as they transition from the old home on the North Shore to the new home here in Otara.

We knew it was going to be a challenge, but an exciting one! The first step we're working on now is to familiarise ourselves with the programme materials and structures so we understand exactly what we're dealing with and how they will sit alongside our Cook'nKiwi programme. Thanks to Jane, Anna and others, including current and past facilitators for sharing their time and energy, patiently explaining and doing things like tracking down electronic versions etc.

So now...the process of coming to grips with the excellent resources is underway, we're also booting up activity to source funding to deliver pilot programmes where we can. This bit can take a little time to get established.

While we are not yet ready to start hands-on delivery, anyone who is interested in a programme, either Just Cook Tika Tunu or Just Cook Healthy Aging at some point can contact Diana on workplace@diabetesfoundationaotearoa.nz to discuss. Likewise, anyone interested in providing support through funding (email us or see here), facilitating, or providing in-kind help (eg, cooking supplies) don't hesitate to make contact.

Kia pai to ra, have a great day out there, and we're looking forward to being out in the community supporting the delivery of these excellent programmes to keep making a real difference in the health of community members.

27/05/2025

For those who haven't heard yet, we reluctantly farewell Tania who has been the Gardens4Health facilitator in West and North Auckland since 2022. We've gotten used to seeing Tania's smiling face turn up in different gardens, and the office, often bearing herbs and seedlings she's grown herself. Thank you Tania on behalf of our organisation, the Gardens4Health team you've been an integral part of, but also the Lifestyle team where you've been a much appreciated behind the scenes supporter. Most importantly we acknowledge the many people you've worked with and helped out out in the community in your time with us. We wish you all the best and look forward to seeing where your new projects take you! Recruiting will start in June, so if this sounds like a role of interest to someone, we'll announce when the advertisement goes up, and keep an eye on Seek next month.