When we heard about the fundraising challenge our good friend, Dan Grigg, had set himself, we knew we had to do something to help. Dan’s young son, Harry, has Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), a serious condition where your blood glucose (sugar) level is too high because your body can’t make a hormone called insulin.

Studies have shown that normal fasting blood glucose levels are 83mg/dl. So, in 2022 Dan has pledged to run 83 miles each month – that’s a daunting 996 miles over the year. Dan’s aim is to raise at least £1 per mile that he runs. To help him smash his goal, we’ll be encouraging all our clients to donate with collecting boxes in all our offices. And Vision Properties has promised to match the total donated by our clients at the end of the year. We’ll also be holding our own fundraising events.

Vision Properties’ Justin Hemming says: “I’m so proud of Dan and his efforts to raise funds and awareness to help find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. Watching my friend and his family cope with Harry’s condition since he first became poorly has filled me with admiration and I hope we can do our bit this year to support him as he clocks up the miles for his amazing little boy.”

Managing Type 1 Diabetes is a full-time job and it’s been a difficult time for Harry and his family since his diagnosis in 2020. Dan says: “Harry has been a huge inspiration to me with how he stays so cheery and deals with the many highs and lows of this horrible condition, better than any 3-year-old should have to. The technology to allow management of the condition is phenomenal and improving all the time, however it still requires 24-hour management and that takes its toll on us all!”

Dan hopes that in Harry’s lifetime there will be a full cure for T1D and he is determined to raise money for the main charity supporting infants with the condition, JDRF @jdrf_uk to help reach that goal.

He says: “This is going to be a big challenge for me both physically and mentally, especially being a dad of 3 young boys, with a demanding full-time job, and carrying more than a few extra pounds!”

If you’d like to donate to Dan’s campaign and help tackle T1D please pop in to our office to make your donation if you want us to match it. Or, you can visit his JustGiving page where you’ll find lots of information about Harry’s story and the charity JDRF. www.justgiving.com/fundraising/DanGrigg2022