Brendan's Story

BRENDAN WARD, an Ōtepoti Dunedin local, has been a volunteer and camp photographer at our summer camps over many years. ‘Diagnosed at 10 with type 1 diabetes, I guess I’ve volunteered for Diabetes NZ in a few different ways, at eight camps. The first, back in 2004, we went to Naseby in Central Otago, mountain biked the Rail Trail in Central Otago, and around the forest in Naseby.

‘I assist with the running of the camp, including some of the outdoor activities, but also help out around meal and snack times, ensuring the kids are managing their diabetes the best they can. I help out the medical professionals with middle-of-the-night blood glucose tests for the kids. It can make for a tired start to the next day, but I think it’s an important job that I’m more than happy to help out with.

‘I get to have a lot of fun at the camps, taking part in some of the activities. It’s like being a kid again at times. I’ve also been able to learn a bit from the camps about how I can best look after my own diabetes. ‘As I’m one of those people who can’t survive without at least average coffee, it’s become a tradition that I bring my Nespresso coffee machine and enough pods for the adults at the camp to have coffee at hand. I think it’d be rude if I only brought coffee for myself! ‘I do photography as a hobby, and I bring some of my photography gear to the camp in order to capture the action of the camp. The photos are later made available to the kids and their parents. Some have been used to apply for funding grants for the camps, some shared with DNZ for use in media, and a number have featured in our magazine, including on the cover. ‘The camps are awesome. I’ve seen kids grow a huge amount of confidence and competence in those years. It’s amazing to see!’

Claire Meirelles9 June 2025