After the successful launch of the pilot Diabetes Prevention Decathlon programme, The Harlequins Foundation will be launching a second remote programme to continue delivering the fantastic results seen in the pilot.
The Diabetes Prevention Decathlon is funded by HIN Innovation Grants and ran in partnership with South-West London NHS Health and Care Partnership.
In February, The Harlequins Foundation will be taking sessions online to local community groups, trialling a fully remote version of the course. The programme will take place over 10 weeks, introducing different types of physical activity to attendees and helping them to learn key information that can help prevent the onset of Type 2 Diabetes.
The programme’s previous intake resulted in incredible success, including a total group weight loss of 38.6kg with 100% of the participants saying they would recommend the programme to others at risk. Responses from the pilot showed increased confidence, happiness, moving to a greater intensity of exercise, and no longer facing difficulties in social activities for those with disabilities. Participants benefited from the gradual increase in exercise intensity and felt fitter by the end of the programme, reporting increasing energy and confidence to exercise.
The programme were also able to calculate the social value generate by the programme using Sport Value Bank, a tool developed by The Harlequins Foundation, in partnership with Simetrica-Jacobs. which helps sporting organisations demonstrate the social value their work generates.
Three success scenarios were generated based upon completion and achievement, and also valued the exercise outcome of moving to a greater intensity. As a result, the programme’s social value created ranged from £74,400 (high scenario) to £28,000 (low scenario).
Hollie Smith, The Harlequins Foundation’s Wellbeing Coach, said: “It has been great to get the Decathlon up and running again.
“Our final sessions of the first cohort were taken online when we first went into lockdown and they were very well received, so I am really looking forward to be able to continue our work with helping even more people now we are remote.”
Chris Gumble, Diabetes Programme Manager at NHS South-West London Health & Care Partnership said: “After the success of the first Diabetes Prevention Decathlon programme, Hollie, Paul and the Quins family have collaborated with SWL NHS team to find new ways to enable the programme to continue due to COVID limitations.
“With the programme now going online, Hollie has designed a new physical activity curriculum and is hard at work creating content for future versions of the programme.
“With the next set of Decathletes due to start in two weeks, we as a team at SWL, cannot thank The Harlequins Foundation enough for all of their efforts in making it a reality.”