Breakthrough T1D – building a movement to drive breakthroughs

Our new name Breakthrough T1D does more than simply proclaim the progress we are, and will be, making towards our mission of finding cures for type 1 diabetes (T1D). The new name also represents our collective determination and actions to make breakthroughs happen. By uniting our efforts towards our north star of curing T1D we will breakthrough and turn our shared vision into reality – this is the power of a movement.

Throughout my career in the charity sector, I’ve had the privilege of working to engage and mobilise many communities who come together to make change happen. The power of the T1D community is unrivalled. The relentlessness of the condition is matched by the relentless determination of a community to make change happen, to ensure we breakthrough in scientific discoveries, access, support and funding to transform the landscape for EVERYONE who lives with T1D. The power to drive change is in each of us.

Creating a movement

Put simply, a movement, is a group who are united by a common goal and aim. With curing T1D as our unfaltering focus, our community will ensure we make progress and our collective drive and push for change is critical to our success.

What excites me most about the new brand is the opportunity to ensure more people know about our work, that we connect with you and you feel inspired by progress we’re making, whilst incensed for more change. Breakthrough T1D will further ignite a sense of shared purpose, motivating more people to join us in pushing boundaries and striving for even greater impact for everyone with T1D. Together we will continue to resolutely focus on cures for T1D through listening, two-way conversation and action.

Driving change

As the world’s leading T1D global research organisation and the largest charity focused exclusively on T1D, I’m confident that our new brand and identity will mean we can connect with more people and inspire them to join us.

Success is not measured purely on scale – it is the impact and progress being made and I know that our community will enable us to be at the forefront of progress, just as we have been in the UK for almost forty years. Our unfaltering commitment and focus is echoed in the tireless efforts of the whole community – we work together to drive change.

Listen, understand and reflect

A movement cannot be driven by an organisation alone but is made up of our collective endeavour. It is critical that we ensure the voice of the diverse T1D community is at the heart of our approach, our decisions and the way in which we engage is critical. The power of lived experience is vital.  It is this authenticity which will enable our movement to grow and people to want to be part of the next chapter of the story.

Important to note, we don’t involve the community because it’s nice to do nor because it is deemed ‘the right thing to do’ – we do it because it is the ONLY way that we can truly listen, understand and reflect the lived experience of the community for whom we are in constant service as an organisation. It is a vital part of how we work and the impact of Breakthrough T1D is reflected far beyond our direct work, significant as it is, through our influence and ability to amplify and drive more progress through also working with others. We are greater than the sum of our parts – a movement driving change.

Our community transcends borders – we work across the globe in our united effort to drive breakthroughs and every person in our community has a unique and valued role to play.

We can’t do this without you

Thanks to people like you in our incredible community lending your time, money or voice to our work we are making change. Whether a researcher discovering a breakthrough in cures treatment, an investor funding the next piece of critical research, a fundraiser taking on a marathon, a volunteer giving time at an event, a social media sharer amplifying our message, a person sharing powerful testimony of their lived experience… the list goes on.

We want there to be a place for everyone in our community and we’d love you to play a role in our next chapter whether you are new to Breakthrough T1D or have played a key role in our progress to date. The exciting chapter where even more breakthroughs will happen – made possible by all of us, together.

Find out how you can get involved.