Balance March-April 2013

[Northerner]

Just received my copy of Balance so I thought I would give a quick overview of what I have found within its pages...

Well, to begin with, what I have NOT found within its pages is any reference to our support forum, not even under the editorial page section titled 'Find Support' This is very poor, and I will be onto Joe about this you can be sure! It shouldn't be that difficult to include a couple of lines about the forum and I find it very frustrating that we are so frequently overlooked or sidelined.

From this issue, as usual, I found the most entertaining article was Arthur Smith's, giving us a 6-step programme to lift us out of our gloom, should we find ourselves falling into the pit. Also interesting was Mari Wilson's article, with an amazing story about a couple who fled Nazi-occupied Prague to Shanghai, only for Eva to be diagnosed as Type 1. I won't spoil the surprise of the remarkable solution they found to obtaining insulin!

I found the remainder of the issue fairly unremarkable. This isn't just sour grapes at our omission, it's just that there seemed to be little of substance or originality to any of the articles. I was briefly entertained by the piece about films featuring diabetes, with explanations of plots and outcomes. Apart from that, an article about the DUK Grants Advisory Panel gives some insight into the people who help inform where research money might be directed, there is a decent travel article about walking the Camino de Santiago with Type 1, some information about PCOS, recipes, and the usual round up of news, fundraising activities, letters and questions for the health advisors.

I really thought the magazine had turned it around a few issues back, but things seem to have dipped back into the generalised 'meh' that fails to pique any really interest. Maybe it's just me! 🙄

(for anyone who doesn't know what Balance is, it is Diabetes UK's supporters' magazine, issued 5-6 times a year to supporters/members of the charity. Some articles are available online, see: http://www.diabetes.org.uk/How_we_help/Magazines/ )

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Balance sounds like a waste of paper 😡
Glad I decided years ago not to continue my membership.
As a matter of interest what exactly do you get for your membership these days, besides a cr*p magazine?

 

[AlisonM]

Oh well, in that case I won't complain that I haven't got mine yet.

 

[DeusXM]

As a matter of interest what exactly do you get for your membership these days, besides a cr*p magazine?

The knowledge that ?1 million of charitable donations is being spent on a project to find out if people with diabetes regain hypo awareness if they stop having loads of hypos, according to the research directory.

Oh, and translating all their material into 20 languages too.

 

[Caroline]

if it is any consolation I plug our forum whenever I can with posters and fliers, so while Balance could help we are being advertised in some way....

 

[Pumper_Sue]

The knowledge that ?1 million of charitable donations is being spent on a project to find out if people with diabetes regain hypo awareness if they stop having loads of hypos, according to the research directory.

Oh, and translating all their material into 20 languages too.

And there was me thinking that it was common knowledge, that if you stop the hypo's the awareness comes back.
What a waste of 1 million pounds. 😡

 

[Northerner]

...Oh, and translating all their material into 20 languages too.

I don't see anything wrong in making their material available to non-English speakers

 

[DeusXM]

Well, leaving aside my wild and dangerous controversial view that if you want to live in this country, you should be able to speak either English, Welsh or Gaelic, there are just 138,000 people in Britain who cannot speak English. I don't know how much it costs to translate and print all of Diabetes UK's leaflets into Albanian or Somali but I suspect that it probably works out at more in pounds than there are people who speak no English and have diabetes. Money which could be spent on a cure so those people no longer have a need for a leaflet in the first place! Charities such as Cancer Research certainly don't put together as much material in 'other' languages.

 

[AlisonM]

I would love to have some little business cards I could drop off at the clinic and the surgery whenever I'm in, and to hand out at local DUK meetings/events. I've stopped doing the leaflets because they haven't heen updated to reflect the logo change.

 

[HelenM]

I'd love to read the Camino article. We've done quite big chunks of the Le Puy route and will one day complete it.
I'd love to walk out of our front door and walk the rest but probably a bit over ambitious since it's 1200km

The language bit I've mixed feelings about. I spent 10 days in hospital when diagnosed. The only people who attempted to communicate in anything other than French were a couple of nursing assistants. I still have nightmares of the first couple of days when I didn't really know what was going on and found it very difficult to ask questions .
Yes, its France, but the language of hospitals and diabetes aren't normal every day language. An English leaflet would have been useful (or even a French one since I read it better than I spoke or understood it)
Actually there is one thing written in English at my local hospital; a notice telling you that the hospital is not responsible if you open the window too wide and fall out!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I didn't get the last issue (with all the covers on it). Not sure I'll chase this one very hard from the sound of it!

 

[Vix]

I would love to have some little business cards I could drop off at the clinic and the surgery whenever I'm in, and to hand out at local DUK meetings/events. I've stopped doing the leaflets because they haven't heen updated to reflect the logo change.

Now there's a good idea... I'm happy to help design business cards if we think that's useful? xx

 

[Casper]

I really thought the magazine had turned it around a few issues back, but things seem to have dipped back into the generalised 'meh' that fails to pique any really interest. Maybe it's just me! 🙄

No, it isn't just you, this is exactly how I feel! Received Balance yesterday, and it was in the (recycle) bin after less than an hour, and that was going through it twice!

Disappointing.🙄

 

[Phil65]

....not recieved mine yet.....but from the comments so far..not a lot to look forward to!

 

[megga]

Well, leaving aside my wild and dangerous controversial view that if you want to live in this country, you should be able to speak either English, Welsh or Gaelic, there are just 138,000 people in Britain who cannot speak English. I don't know how much it costs to translate and print all of Diabetes UK's leaflets into Albanian or Somali but I suspect that it probably works out at more in pounds than there are people who speak no English and have diabetes. Money which could be spent on a cure so those people no longer have a need for a leaflet in the first place! Charities such as Cancer Research certainly don't put together as much material in 'other' languages.

But we do have none English speaking people live here with diabetes, and why not let them have the same information as others. Yes i agree that people who come and live over here should speak English first, but some dont.
Where i used to live in Derby there was an Indian chap a few doors down, his family aranged a marrage with a young girl from India, i doubt she had a say in it, she was brought to a country where she was cut of. She did learn some English after a few years, and my ex wife did speak to her, she said she just cried herself to sleep the first few months, she never wanted to live here in the first place.

And if we can save money just printing in English, why not just have it online? save printing costs, postage ect more for reserch then!

 

[DeusXM]

But we do have none English speaking people live here with diabetes

Because at the most, there are 138,000 of them. Yes, there are something like 5 million people for whom English is a second language but that is not to say they cannot speak English.

Yes, in a perfect world where money wasn't short, Diabetes UK would produce literature in every language under the sun. But cash is a limited resource for a charity. Most charities recognise this, which is why a lot of them don't bother extensively translating everything. A case in point, the NHS only offers professionally translated advice on its website in 12 language - compared to 20 for Diabetes UK.

If money is limited, then logically it should be allocated to provide the greatest good to the greatest number of people. I don't know how many Albanians there are in the UK with diabetes who do not speak any English whatsoever but I'm guessing we could be talking a very small number indeed. Yes, I suppose it's appalling and dreadful that these people could be frozen out of Diabetes UK's advice if they decide to not learn English but the point is that the cash spent on translating every document so those 85 people can read it would probably be far better spent on something like cure research.

I'm all in favour of putting up health information in multiple languages online. I just don't really see why our donations have to pay for it when there are plenty of websites already in Punjabi or Somali or whatever that talk about diabetes - ones from those places where that's a first language, for a start. Secondly, why bother paying for a translator? The NHS's strategy is to use Google Translate to automate the process. Why can't Diabetes UK (or more precisely, those browsing the site) just use that instead of paying for formal translations?

I'm all in favour of making information available to all. I'm also against wasting money, and I'm also against providing information in such a way that it actually prevents a person from properly engaging with where they live. If all the information is already translated and you're one of those 138,000 who don't speak English, then where's your incentive to learn?

 

[megga]

Because at the most, there are 138,000 of them. Yes, there are something like 5 million people for whom English is a second language but that is not to say they cannot speak English.

Yes, in a perfect world where money wasn't short, Diabetes UK would produce literature in every language under the sun. But cash is a limited resource for a charity. Most charities recognise this, which is why a lot of them don't bother extensively translating everything. A case in point, the NHS only offers professionally translated advice on its website in 12 language - compared to 20 for Diabetes UK.

If money is limited, then logically it should be allocated to provide the greatest good to the greatest number of people. I don't know how many Albanians there are in the UK with diabetes who do not speak any English whatsoever but I'm guessing we could be talking a very small number indeed. Yes, I suppose it's appalling and dreadful that these people could be frozen out of Diabetes UK's advice if they decide to not learn English but the point is that the cash spent on translating every document so those 85 people can read it would probably be far better spent on something like cure research.

I'm all in favour of putting up health information in multiple languages online. I just don't really see why our donations have to pay for it when there are plenty of websites already in Punjabi or Somali or whatever that talk about diabetes - ones from those places where that's a first language, for a start. Secondly, why bother paying for a translator? The NHS's strategy is to use Google Translate to automate the process. Why can't Diabetes UK (or more precisely, those browsing the site) just use that instead of paying for formal translations?

I'm all in favour of making information available to all. I'm also against wasting money, and I'm also against providing information in such a way that it actually prevents a person from properly engaging with where they live. If all the information is already translated and you're one of those 138,000 who don't speak English, then where's your incentive to learn?

If you feel like that, well thats your choice, we all have a view on topics i suppose, and thats yours and many others, and some feel different and the rest just dont care. But if you feel very strongly, then why dont you contact them about this "waste of money".

 

[DeusXM]

why dont you contact them about this "waste of money".

Why bother? It's not as if Diabetes UK has ever listened to any of its members anyway. If they want to waste their money, that's fine. They aren't wasting mine though, which is why I cancelled my membership over a decade ago and switched to JDRF.

 

[JoeFreeman]

Thanks for all the comments. Northerner has already emailed me about there not being a mention of the forum in the current issue of Balance, to which I've offered some explanation (which I'm happy to be shared if it hasn't been already).

I'm more than happy to pass on comments to the Balance team and wider Communications directorate about the subject, and have shared this thread.

I did want to comment on the information in other languages though.

We feel it's important to do this. We have info available on our website in 20 languages - many of which are languages used by communities that are traditionally very hard to reach with health messages, and who are also at a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Any information we can provide to help them better manage their diabetes and can be invaluable and help increase their chances avoiding complications. We no longer print as much information in leaflet/booklet format in other languages, but do have plans to do some more in future with information based on our key advice and awareness messages.

As for costs, the majority of our translations were undertaken by volunteers which helped reduce costs. It's important to remember not everyone uses/has access to information online - especially those from older generations. As tools like Google Translate become better and more widely used, that'll reduce the need for us to translate any information, which would be extremely helpful. But until then, we'll do what we can to help others who need it.

Cancer Research UK, Macmillan and The BHF produce quite a lot of information in a range of other languages. Without meaning to speak for them, it is important that we are able to provide information and support for those in the UK who need it.

 

[DeusXM]

Thanks for the response Joe. Are you permitted to disclose how much Diabetes UK spends on its multiple language provision (ie. translation and printing costs)? I admit my objections are based on a probably incorrect assumption that we're looking at several thousand pounds.

Is there also any research available on the number of people in the UK who cannot speak English and have diabetes?

Also, given that the NHS now recommends non-English speakers use Google Translate for their own website, is there any reason in particular why it's still not considered appropriate for Diabetes UK to make the same recommendation?