The month of November is Diabetes Awareness Month and Everton in the Community has joined forces with Novo Nordisk, Diabetes North West Coast Strategic Clinical Network and Liverpool Diabetes Partnership to raise awareness of the condition and provide support for those living with diabetes.

Ahead of the Blues' home games against Tottenham Hotspur (Sunday 3 November) and Norwich City (Saturday 23 November), nurses from Novo Nordisk and staff from NHS England will be in attendance at the Matchday Hub on Spellow Lane to carry out HbA1c testing via a finger prick blood test, as well as offering Diabetes UK ‘Know Your Risk’ questionnaires.

Every person who is screened prior to the two fixtures will be entered in to a prize draw to be in with the chance of winning this season’s Everton shirt.

Everton in the Community’s GP Chris Pritchard will be on site to provide support for those newly diagnosed and those who have been living with the condition for some time. If you’re unable to join us prior to either fixture, Chris, alongside a health trainer, will also be available on Wednesdays from 9.30am until 4.30pm at the Hub for further support and guidance.

Diabetes is a progressive, non-communicable disease that is more likely in over 40-year-olds, those with a family history of the condition and those who are overweight. It can be caused primarily by a sedentary lifestyle and an increasing consumption of sugars and starches in our diets which can lead to obesity and an increasing difficulty in controlling blood sugar levels.

To find out more about diabetes and for your complimentary testing, please call into the Matchday Hub on Sunday 3 November from 1.30pm, or 12pm on Saturday 23 November, to speak with the on-site medical professionals.