The Argus Group and BF&M Limited have made a joint donation of $100,000 to the Bermuda Diabetes Association.

Each company will contribute $50,000 towards the development of a new, larger facility at the BDA’s new location at 22 Princess Street. The initial renovations are slated to be completed by the end of 2018.

The funds will be used to develop a comprehensive diabetes education and resource centre and a full-service pharmacy, with a larger capacity to serve the diabetes community.

This will enable the BDA to house all of its educational services, patient counselling and pharmacy under one roof so that it can deliver high quality, comprehensive care to those who need it the most.

The low dispensing fee at the pharmacy saves money for patients and improves their accessibility to medications.

The property will also feature an educational teaching kitchen in which cooking classes and meal planning workshops can be held with an appropriately designed area to host group counselling and healthy lifestyle education sessions.

Alison Hill, CEO at Argus, said: “Diabetes is a major epidemic in Bermuda, and at Argus we are dedicated to providing support to help reduce the disease’s growing trend.

“We are pleased that this donation will assist with the development of an enhanced pharmacy and space for expanded programmes. We feel that these will be essential tools in our fight against diabetes.”

John Wight, president and CEO of BF&M, said: “The work of the Bermuda Diabetes Association is absolutely critical in Bermuda, where the incidence of diabetes is among the highest in the world. At BF&M, we believe that educational programmes are key for bringing about change, and we are wholeheartedly supportive of the initiatives planned by the Association.”

Sue Reilly, executive director of Bermuda Diabetes Association, said: “This new location will enable us to expand our services to answer the growing needs of our community.

“We will be able to be under one roof with enhanced services to make us a more efficient, cohesive group, which will significantly enrich the services we are able to offer.

“This contribution will assist substantially with getting our new space up and running, and we are very grateful for it and the ongoing support of Argus and BF&M.”

The renovations will be completed in two phases, with the main floor renovation scheduled for this year and with future plans for expansion into the basement space.