Royal London Group Boosts Work To Cure Diabetes In Jdrf Fundraising Day
Thursday, 25 September 2008
Around 100 staff from the Royal London Group, the UK's largest mutual life and pensions company, converged on Greenwich Park on Sunday 21st September to join 1100 other runners and walkers in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Greater London Walk to Cure Diabetes, helping to raise a total of £240,000 for this important charity.
Staff from the Group's offices in Wilmslow, Edinburgh, London and the Isle of Man took part in the event after leading a series of fundraising activities in recent weeks, including sponsored car washes, moustache shavings and fun days, raising over £20,000 for JDRF.
According to Mike Yardley, Royal London Group Chief Executive and Chairman of this year's JDRF Greater London Walk:
"The Royal London Group is delighted to have been so closely involved with this very worthy cause and I've been overwhelmed with the great efforts made by my colleagues at Royal London, and staff from other companies, to raise vital funds for JDRF. I have a personal connection with the charity as my son, Adam, suffers from type 1 diabetes and have seen first hand the impact this illness can have on young people and their families. I am so pleased that this weekend's activities will make such a practical difference in helping to find a cure for diabetes."
Founded in 1986, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is the only charitable organisation in the world whose main objective is to find the cure for type 1 diabetes. The charity focuses on raising money to drive world-class research to prevent, treat and cure type 1 diabetes and its serious complications.
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For further information please contact:
Royal London
Alasdair Buchanan
Group Head of Communications
Tel: 0131 456 7133
Polhill Communications
Jenette Greenwood
Tel: 020 7655 0530
Editor's Notes:
Royal London Group, is a specialist financial service provider. Its businesses focus on those sectors of the market which value quality propositions, operating through a number of brands:
- Scottish Life – UK pensions market
- Bright Grey – UK protection market
- Scottish Provident – UK protection market
- Phoenix Life Assurance Limited – provides life and pensions products to Abbey's national branch network
- Scottish Life International – offshore investment markets
- Scottish Provident International – offshore investment markets
- RLAM – fund management
- RLAS – life and pensions administration
- Fundsdirect / Ascentric – funds supermarket; Wrap platform
Royal London is the largest mutual life and pensions company in the UK with Group funds under management of £32.4 billion. Group businesses serve around three million customers and employ 2,750 people. Figures quoted are as at 30 June 2008, prior to the acquisition of Scottish Provident's new business capabilities (in respect of individual life protection business)and of Phoenix Life Assurance Limited.
JDRF
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is the leading charitable funder of type 1 diabetes research worldwide. JDRF has been responsible for more than £600 million direct funding of the most promising and groundbreaking type 1 diabetes research around the world. www.jdrf.org.uk.
Type 1 diabetes
- Type 1 diabetes is a serious, life threatening condition caused by the body's own immune system destroying insulin producing cells in the pancreas.
- Insulin is vital because it converts glucose from food into energy and a lack of insulin quickly results in serious illness and, if untreated, death.
- Type 1 diabetes strikes suddenly and without warning, usually in childhood and remains for life.
- Multiple daily insulin injections and blood tests are essential just to stay alive but are not a cure and can not prevent the long term, potentially devastating complications including blindness, limb amputations, kidney failure, heart disease and strokes.
- Every year around £2.5 billion is spent on treating type 1 diabetes and its complications.