Peer support for different ages

Would you like to meet other persons with diabetes and their family members over a fun activity? The diabetes associations operating around Finland organise events and activities, such as lectures, excursions, trips or family club meetings.

Many of these events are open to anyone, so you can join in even if you are not a member of a diabetes association.

The Finnish Diabetes Association also organises various events. They can be attended by members of the local branch associations and their families. For example, the family events include activities for both children and grown-ups – and the Finnish Diabetes Association’s staff members are always there. The local diabetes associations provide information about events via their newsletters and websites as well as local newspapers. Some of the local events are also included in the Finnish Diabetes Association’s event calendar.

A free weekend away from home with people of the same age may not be an easy thing to arrange for a child or young person with diabetes. The camps organised by the Finnish Diabetes Association or its local branches provide fun organised activities for groups where diabetes is a common denominator for everyone.

Most of the camps are meant for the families of children with diabetes or persons with diabetes of lower secondary school age. Often, the camps have a theme, such as sports.

Camps are held around Finland mainly in the summertime and most of them lasting a weekend. At the camps, there are always adults present who are familiar with diabetes treatments.

You can find information about nearly all upcoming camps as well as registration instructions in the Finnish Diabetes Association’s event calenda (in Finnish).

Does your child with diabetes want a friend their age, and would you like to exchange ideas with the parents of another family living with diabetes? The family clubs of diabetes associations mainly involve families with a child with diabetes under the age of 12. The club meetings are often designed in such a way that there are activities for both the parents and children.

Some local diabetes associations also have peer support groups for the grandparents of children with diabetes.

For more information about clubs and activities, please contact the Finnish Diabetes Association or your local diabetes association.

If a young person with diabetes needs someone in a similar situation to talk to, one option is Ykkösklubi (Club of Ones in Finnish). It provides group activities for young people aged 14–17 with type 1 diabetes as well as group activities planned and designed by the young people themselves organised by care providers.