Pictured above are members of the Tenby and District branch of Diabetes UK presenting a cheque to a head office representative for the money raised at the Annual 'Walk in the Park' which was held last June around Llys-y-Fran reservoir.

The total amount raised reached the staggering amount of £6,882,03, all of which goes to fund research projects which are already well underway.

Britain already has 1.4 million people who have been diagnosed with diabetes, but it is estimated that there are about another million who have the condition but have not yet been diagnosed.

On average, people with type 2 diabetes have the condition for nine to 12 years before diagnosis, and by the time they are diagnosed, 50 per cent of them have already begun to develop complications.

Diabetes UK funds over £6 million worth of research a year, and has brought together a consortium of universities to ensure that Islet cell transplantation research goes ahead in Britain.

Another project being funded is DAFNE - Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating. This programme equips people with type 1 diabetes to adjust their insulin to correspond to the amount of food they are about to eat.

Tenby and District branch is one of the smallest branches in the UK, but has been recognised as being one of the branches whose fund-raising efforts ranks them as one of the largest. The Pembrokeshire 'Walk in the Park' alone over the three years that it has been staged has raised £20,615.67.

The walk for 2003 once again will be around the Llys-y-Fran reservoir and is scheduled for June 8.

Another event which has now become essential in the fund-raising calendar is the 'Dance for Diabetes', which features the Frantic 5. The group have a close connection to the charity, through Mike Day their drummer, who has been an insulin dependent diabetic since the age of 17, and is an inspiration to any young newly diagnosed diabetic. Each year the group helps to raise much needed funds.

This year the dance will once again be held at the RAOB Club at Kilgetty on March 8. For ticket information, telephone Gaynor on 01834 813889 or Maureen on 01834 812025/812491.