Double Charity Award Win For Gosport Amputee

A man from Gosport, whose work in raising awareness of the impact of living with a diabetes related amputation, has been recognised by charity Diabetes UK at its regional volunteering conference in Basingstoke on Saturday 19 March Barrie Smith 76, who has Type 1 diabetes not only won the Campaigning and Raising Awareness award but was also presented with the charity’s top accolade, the Outstanding Individual Volunteer Award Winner – the Sir Steve Redgrave award. The award is given to someone who the judges consider to be an exceptional volunteer who has gone ‘above and beyond’ for Diabetes UK. Barrie is a media volunteer for the Diabetes UK South East region and has been actively involved in the charity’s Putting Feet First campaign which aims to reduce the number of diabetes related amputations by half, particularly in the Fareham and Gosport CCG area where the rate of amputations was the highest in England.