Diabetes Conference 2026

“Living with diabetes and long term conditions : Self-care for sustainable health and well-being”

This year, the 7th Annual Diabetes conference will be addressing the impact of diabetes on long-term conditions and exploring innovative preventive strategies within the local community. This is a FREE event, with free lunch and free goodie bags included. 

We will discuss the connections between social care, health care and communities and integrating different ways to meet the needs of people living with diabetes.

Knowledge and insights will be shared by a variety of experts, including health and social care professionals, community workers, public health professionals, students, researchers, policymakers, and diabetes advocates. 

Speakers at this year’s conference

Jacqueline Francis is a Registered Dietitian and Public Health Practitioner with extensive experience in stakeholder engagement and partnership working. She delivers evidence-based nutrition support, public health training, and health improvement initiatives across statutory, third sector, and clinical settings. She also supports food providers with menu development, nutrition labelling, and food safety compliance. Jacqueline has a strong interest in weight management and Type 2 Diabetes prevention in ethnically diverse groups. The title of her presentation is: "Exploring Chrono-nutrition Principles and Weight Management Strategies (in preventing and managing type 2 diabetes".

Rudi Page is a senior advisor with cross-sector expertise in major change programmes, policy implementation, strategic project management, and research-led systems across the UK and Caribbean health systems. He is a skilled facilitator, providing executive coaching and mentoring to leaders and frontline professionals, using inclusive, faith-informed frameworks to strengthen community engagement, trust, and wellbeing in complex NHS environments. Known for integrity and insight, he has held senior roles in recruitment and governance, including ministerial and NHS appointments. Rudi builds trusted partnerships across stakeholders, supporting advisory groups, research networks, and health organisations to enhance policy delivery through effective consultation and community engagement.

Kate Parsley is Director of her own management consultancy, working with the NHS, local government and charities on innovation, health systems and equity. She began her career in global health in Zimbabwe and Uganda before spending 17 years leading public health programmes across the NHS and local authorities in London. Kate holds an MSc in Community Health Psychology from the LSE and is completing an MBA in Health Management. She has lived with Type 1 diabetes for over 27 years, was recently confirmed as ADHD, and brings both practitioner rigour and patient perspective to everything she does.