Jubilant June
Register now for our open house & interactive workshop under Project Gaia called 'What Women Want' on Sunday 11th July at 5PM IST on the Blue Circle Workshops platform. We'll talk about what women with diabetes want from life, relationships, family, medical professionals, their bodies & diabetes, of course. Come with a cuppa & be video ready, ladies!
Here's a quick low down on all that happened in June 2021 at Blue Circle Diabetes Foundation.
Blue Circle Workshops & Events
Blue Circle Workshops are online weekend workshops that are free and open for all, even non diabetics! Join in, have fun and learn new things. Sign up as a member and follow our social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & YouTube to know of upcoming workshops.
Carb counting Workshop
Click the post below to read highlights from our carb counting workshop where Snehal, Rohan and Nupur share ideas on managing sugars while being on different styles of eating (relatively higher carb, moderate and low carb)
Virtual Potluck
We would have loved to do a real potluck but thanks to the current scenario, we had to make do with a virtual one. See this thread to read and try all the amazing recipes our community came up with!
Managing Grief Workshop
We were in conversation with psychotherapist Pooja Gala who beautifully explained how to recognise and manage grief in ourselves and loved ones during these tough times. Click the post below to read the takeaways.
UTI & Diabetes Workshop
As part of Project Gaia, our initiative to create a safe space for women with diabetes, we spoke with gynaecologist Dr Pranita Darade about UTIs which are very common in a lot of women with diabetes. Click the post below to know how to avoid and manage them.
Meethi Baatein
Third Facebook Live of our new series called Meethi Baatein to celebrate top contributors of our community on Facebook. Rohan was in conversation with Megha, see the video here.
In the News
Yahoo News UK spoke to us about diabetes in the times of Covid in India. Blue Circle Diabetes Foundation has appealed to the Government to consider prioritizing people with diabetes in the vaccination drive. Please retweet our appeal.
Save tax when you donate!
NGO Blue Circle Diabetes Foundation is now registered under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act. See our website & social media for our work & various projects in diabetes awareness and advocacy across India. Your support helps us support the diabetes community & help those who cannot help themselves
Donate now & avail tax exemption as an individual or organization: https://www.bluecircle.foundation/donate
Vaccination Drive for people with diabetes
In collaboration with Chellaram Hospital - Diabetes Care & Multi speciality Pune, NGO Blue Circle Diabetes Foundation is happy to launch a vaccination drive at Chellaram Hospital in Pune for people with all types of diabetes to help them get vaccinated more easily. Getting vaccinated against Covid 19 is especially important for people with all types of diabetes since they are at risk for worse outcomes if they contract Covid.
Eligibility : anyone who is eligible to take the vaccine and lives with any type of diabetes. CoWin registration is mandatory (if you are not able to do it, the hospital will try and help you)
Process: Open the Blue Circle Diabetes app, click on 'Vaccination Drive', select a date, press 'Confirm' and book your slot. Once successfully booked you will receive a confirmation email from support@bluecircle.foundation. There will be 20 slots opened for each day, so book quickly. The time slot for vaccination is 2-3PM so ensure you reach on time carrying your Aadhar card. Pay Rs 780 as vaccination charges directly at the hospital.
School Diabetes Awareness Programme
We are proud to associate with Mahindra Pride School by Mahindra Group which provides livelihood training for youth from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. This month, we conducted a Diabetes Awareness Programme for the youngsters. Different types of diabetes can strike anyone, at any age.
If you would like us to organise a similar session at your school, University or workplace, email us on support@bluecircle.foundation. If you'd like to volunteer, fill the volunteer form!
New App features & updates
The Blue Circle Diabetes mobile app now has a 'Delete' button incase you enter the wrong information. To delete 'Exercise', 'Insulin' or 'Food', please press the delete (bin) icon near your entry. To delete blood sugars, go to 'Quick Reports' & press 'Delete' for the wrong entry.
Download the Blue Circle Diabetes mobile app, made by people with diabetes & for people with diabetes on Android and iOS. Know more about all the app features here.
Low Carb Recipe Contest
We ran an amazing low carb recipe contest on our Facebook community. Stay tuned to know the winners who will receive gift hampers of low carb foods from ADOR.
Success Stories
We are overjoyed when folks from our diabetes community set and smash their health goals with the support of the community! We want to celebrate your wins and success stories and be your cheerleaders! Read their strategies and tips on our posts about them on Blue Circle's social media platforms.
Volunteer with us!
Fill this form if you would like to volunteer with us and pay it forward to the community.
Standup comedy fundraiser
Our hilarious friends from Witches of Comedy curated a comedy show with a cause; a fundraiser for our NGO.
Remembering Siddharth
Siddharth was one of us, a T1D. We lost him to Covid. We will miss him. It is important now, more than ever to raise our voices and advocate for people with diabetes, be it for getting prioritising Covid vaccination for people living with diabetes or other important things.
Buddy Project Helpline
The Buddy Project is our mobile app based psychosocial helpline for diabetes and mental health. 12 trained volunteers (type 1, type 2 & caregivers), speaking 9 languages are here to listen to you without judgements. If you feel lost, depressed, anxious, panicky, suicidal or generally upset, please schedule a call with us. These are tough times but remember you are NOT alone, your community stands with you.
How to call the Buddy Project helpline
Image: screenshot of how to navigate the Buddy Project helpline on the app
Open the Blue Circle Diabetes app > Buddy Project > Schedule tab > pick a buddy of your choice > Schedule a call (once you schedule you'll see it under the 'Meetings' tab > 10 minutes prior to the call, you'll receive an app notification/reminder > To join the call, open the app, go to Buddy Project & under the 'Meetings' tab, press the 'Join' button (video is off by default, can switch on as per preference)
Looking for a partner? Marriage & Diabetes
We understand that a lot of people with diabetes face tremendous difficulties in finding the right partner and getting married. We have received a lot of requests over the years to facilitate a platform to this end. Here's our small effort in that direction. If you'd like to find a partner, or are a parent who would like to introduce their child looking to get married, please introduce yourself on our private Facebook community, Diabetes Support Network - India.
Blue Circle Store
Check out the adorable, diabetes inspired stickers and magnets from the Blue Circle Store and order them now!
Blogs
Read our blog here. We write about everything from recipes to people's stories, technology and everything diabetes!
July campaign : #DiabetesMyths
To participate in our social media campaigns, share your video or photo (with some supporting text) on the topic with us. Upload through the Blue Circle Diabetes mobile app and we'll feature you! Our latest campaign is #DiabetesMyths - where we would love to hear all the diabetes myths that you may have encountered and how you reacted to them.
Check out Snehal launching the campaign.
Connect with us and participate!
Join our Facebook support group, like and follow our page, subscribe to our YouTube channel, follow us on Instagram and Twitter too! If you would like to share and contribute content upload it to the Blue Circle app and don't forget to check out our website and free helpline too!
SUPPORT BLUE CIRCLE DIABETES FOUNDATION
We need your help and support to continue to grow, expand and touch the lives of countless people in the diabetes community. Every little bit helps us in sustaining this endeavour.
Click here to donate