Steve Morgan Foundation launches partnership with Crewe Alexandra in the Community

The Steve Morgan Foundation has launched a three-year partnership with Crewe Alexandra in the Community to support its community-based programmes supporting young people at risk of exclusion, and vulnerable adults facing housing and health issues.

Our £250,000 investment will enable Crewe Alexandra in the Community to scale up its successful pilot projects that support young people and adults. Both projects had faced imminent closure due to funding uncertainties, but the Foundation’s investment will ensure this vital community work can survive and thrive for years to come.

The partnership builds on the Steve Morgan Foundation’s long-term support for Everton in the Community, Liverpool FC Foundation and Wrexham AFC Foundation.

Steve Morgan said:

“Both the club and the community have had a really difficult time in recent years, but we know that football can play an important role in engaging people and getting them back on the right path.

“That’s why the Steve Morgan Foundation has invested in the community work at LFC Foundation, Everton in the Community, Wrexham AFC Foundation and now Crewe Alexandra in the Community, enabling them to supercharge their programmes and change people’s lives for good.”

With the Foundation’s backing, Crewe Alexandra in the Community aims to improve education, health outcomes, employment opportunities and people’s connection to the Crewe community.

Crewe Alexandra Chairman Charles Grant said:

“Part of the work of Crewe Alexandra in the Community aims to tackle the root issues of social disadvantage, support underprivileged people, and help them to fulfil their potential.

“Having the support of the Steve Morgan Foundation will be a game-changer for us. This generous grant will enable us to continue – and expand – our efforts to deliver programmes and projects which make a real difference to our community. We are very grateful and look forward to working even more closely with the Steve Morgan Foundation in the future.”

Found out more about the work of Crewe Alexandra in the Community here.

Research funded by the Steve Morgan Foundation uncovers why type 1 diabetes is more aggressive in young children

Scientists have made a breakthrough in understanding how type 1 diabetes (T1D) affects young children, paving the way for new strategies to prevent or delay T1D and, in time, contribute to a cure.

The study was funded through our £50m Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge, a unique partnership between ourselves, Diabetes UK and Breakthrough T1D.

In this groundbreaking research, published in Science Advances, ahead of World Diabetes Day on November 14, Dr Sarah Richardson and her team discovered that T1D can be more aggressive in young children, because of the size of the clusters of insulin-producing cells at the point of diagnosis.

These insights pave the way for new, targeted treatments designed specifically for young children who are living with T1D, or at risk of developing the condition.

Gareth and Joanne Nye’s daughter, Gracie, from Merseyside, was diagnosed with T1D at just 23 months old. Gareth said:

“Gracie’s diagnosis was traumatic for our whole family. In less than 48 hours she went from being a toddler with what we thought was a slight cold, to lying unconscious in a hospital bed with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), close to death. We lived in constant fear, setting alarms every two hours to finger prick her at night, worrying if she’d still be with us in the morning.

“Research like this, and the possibilities it holds, will be vital in reducing the number of children diagnosed in critical care, like Gracie. It gives us confidence that one day she could be free from her condition – and that fewer parents and children will have to go through this same experience.”

Steve Morgan said: “We created the Grand Challenge partnership to super-charge research into new treatments and a cure for T1D. We know firsthand that a T1D diagnosis is life changing for a child and their family. We hope this breakthrough research makes a positive difference for many people in the future.”

Find out more

Read the full story on the Grand Challenge website
here, and hear below from one of the researchers behind this important breakthrough:

Brand new diabetes resource from Together Type 1

The dynamic, peer support and empowerment programme Together Type 1 – an initiative developed by Diabetes UK and funded by the Steve Morgan Foundation – has launched a new resource to support children and young people with type 1 diabetes in school.

‘My Type 1 Info’ is a personalised card containing information school staff may need to know about their diabetes – the tech being used, hypo treatments and so on. It folds down to the size of a credit card which is perfect for pupils to carry with them in their pocket, school bag, pencil case, or diabetes kit bag.

My Type 1 Info was developed by Lilly (Together Type 1 Youth Worker in the Midlands and East region) and Amelia (Together Type 1 Young Leader).

Amelia said: “We hope this resource will help school staff to really understand type 1 diabetes and how their pupils manage their condition.

“I know from meeting people at Together Type 1 events how tricky it can be to deal with diabetes in school sometimes. Having to explain to everyone why you need your phone on your desk, or why a device is beeping, can be embarrassing. I know some young people skip taking their insulin in school because they find it awkward. Having support from informed teachers and other staff can make all the difference.

“I really hope My Type 1 Info will help to reduce pupils’ anxiety around talking to new teachers about their diabetes. It can be filled out to explain what tech you are using, whether you are injecting insulin or using a pump, how to treat hypos and other aspects of staying on top of diabetes. There are also answers to common questions and facts about type 1 that teachers might not know.”

For further information or to request a My Type 1 Info card, please email type1youth@diabetes.org.uk.