Diabetes UK searches for marketing director

The charity Diabetes UK is looking for its first director of marketing and membership after a strategic review.

The charity is merging the roles of director of policy and communications and director of fundraising to create the new post.

Director of policy and communications Benet Middleton becomes acting chief executive, following the departure of Paul Streets to the Health Development Agency. Streets was awarded an OBE last month for his services to diabetes. Director of fundraising Jonathan Paris has decided to take a career break.

Following its success in persuading the Government to implement a national framework for diabetes care, the charity has concluded that its new direction should involve marketing its services to health services professionals and people with diabetes rather than political campaigning and raising awareness.

Diabetes UK has more than 175,000 members. It publishes magazines, organises events and arranges holidays for adults and children with diabetes.

The charity’s current campaign, created by specialist agency Cascaid, is based around the slogan “Diabetes is bloody serious”. The charity has appointed direct marketing agencies every year on a project basis.

Diabetes UK has recently launched a credit card in association with the Bank of Scotland and earlier this year it began a campaign together with Sainsbury’s to promote healthy eating to schoolchildren.

Until June 2000, Diabetes UK was known as the British Diabetic Association.