Heartbeat: Woodland hike proves huge hit with diabetic children

September 24, 2018

Children with diabetes at Sandwell Hospital participated in a woodlands hike at Woodlands Adventure in Aldridge, Walsall.

Woodlands Adventure specialise in both residential and non-residential outdoor activities for school trips, youth and uniform groups, colleges and universities and sports/social clubs.

The woodlands hike was organised by the diabetes team and was funded from a variety of fundraising sessions and the Your Trust Charity paediatric diabetes trust fund.

The annual trip aimed to give children and young people experience of insulin adjustment in regards to manging their glucose during exercise.

Amanda Whitehouse, Paediatric Diabetes Nurse helped organise the trip and believes it was beneficial.

She said: “The woodlands trip proved to be a real success as it gave our diabetes children the opportunity exercise safely while controlling their blood glucose levels.

“It reinforced good habits such as checking their blood glucose before and after exercise and judging dose of insulin to give for meals.”

Dr Chizo Agwu, Consultant Paediatrician in Diabetes and Endocrinology also attended the woodland trip and said: “With a variety of activities on offer including a zip wire, obstacle course and canoeing, the day meant that the children had ample opportunity to partake in in strenuous exercise under supervision whilst learning how to better control their bloods.”

Liz Hudson, Paediatric Diabetes Liaison Nurse thinks the woodland hike has had a positive impact on all who attended.

She said: “The trip helped the children and young people meet others children with diabetes allowing them to empathise with each other in terms of their condition as well as make new friends”.