Youngsters with diabetes kit up for sport days

Young people with diabetes are preparing for a series of fun filled sport and dance days which come loaded with useful information and advice. Bayer Diabetes Care began Around U Sports Days in 2008 and worked to expand it year on year with four events scheduled for summer 2011, all co-sponsored by diabetes.co.uk. This year, youngsters with diabetes will be able to take part in soccer skills days at Glasgow Celtic F.C.’s training ground at Lennoxtown and The London Soccerdome in London. There will also be two dance days held at the world famous Pineapple Dance Studios in London and City-Limits Dancentre in Sheffield.

Bayer Diabetes Around U Sports Days are aimed at young people with Type 1 diabetes aged between six and 16 with participants being nominated through their Diabetes Specialists Nurses. A typical sports day will involve skills training sessions and a mini-tournament or performance at the end of the day. While the youngsters are perfecting their dance/soccer skills, parents are kept up-to-date with the latest developments in diabetes research from a specialist in the field, selected by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

Andrea Postles, spokeswoman for Bayer Diabetes Care, said: “Around U Sports Days are designed to demonstrate that despite having diabetes, these youngsters can enjoy exactly the same sports and activities as other youngsters. It also gives young people with Type 1 diabetes, and their parents, the chance to meet others and share their knowledge and experience to help them manage their diabetes.”

Thousands of young people in the UK have diabetes which can cause complications including blindness, heart disease, amputation, stroke and kidney failure and may reduce life expectancy by up to 20 years. More than 200 young people are expected to attend the four Around U Sports Days during the summer.

Andrea Postles

Tel. 01635 563 031

E-Mail: andrea.postles@bayer.com

Craig Mowat

Tel. 01635 563 523

E-Mail: craig.mowat@bayer.com

Bayer Diabetes Care

Bayer Diabetes Care is dedicated to providing blood glucose meters and support materials designed to simplify the lives of people with diabetes and their healthcare professionals. Bayer produces several blood glucose monitoring systems for people with diabetes, these are:

• CONTOUR® - a blood glucose monitoring system that help patients manage their condition with the freedom to enjoy their everyday lives.
• CONTOUR® USB - the first blood glucose meter with on-board diabetes management software to help people with diabetes view their blood glucose results and track trends.
• CONTOUR® Link – wirelessly transmits blood glucose results to a compatible Medtronic diabetes device.
• BREEZE®2 - a blood glucose monitoring system with a 10-test disc that delivers results in just five seconds, without the need to worry about individual test strips.
• DIDGET™ - the first and only blood glucose meter for children with diabetes that connects directly to Nintendo DS™ and DS™ Lite gaming systems.

About Bayer HealthCare

The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subgroup of Bayer AG with annual sales of EUR 16.913 billion (2010), is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Medical Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. Bayer HealthCare’s aim is to discover and manufacture products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Bayer HealthCare has a global workforce of 55.700 employees (Dec 31, 2010) and is represented in more than 100 countries. Find more information at www.bayerhealthcare.com.

Bayer: Science For A Better Life

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. The company’s products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time Bayer creates value through innovation, growth and high earning power. The Group is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its role as a socially and ethically responsible corporate citizen. Economy, ecology and social responsibility are corporate policy objectives of equal rank.

In fiscal 2010, Bayer in the UK and Ireland, employed more than 1,200 people and had sales of £770m. Bayer’s offices are in Newbury (head office), Cambridge, Dublin, Uxbridge, Sheffield and Norwich. For more information, go to www.bayer.co.uk Follow us on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/BayerUkIreland

Globally, in fiscal 2010, Bayer employed more than 110,000 people and had sales of €35.1 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to €1.6 billion, R&D expenses to €3.1 billion. For more information, go to www.bayer.com