Sale of paintings from Iona, to support the work of Diabetes UK

In spring 2017, a week-long painting expedition to Iona was organised by a Trust in the name of the late Lord MacLeod of Fuinary, founder of the Iona Community.

Lord Macleod’s wife died of a diabetes-related heart attack aged 63. Sir Maxwell Macleod, Lord Macleod’s son is also a diabetes sufferer, and in April this year he invited a group of artists to Iona to paint pictures with the aim of selling these at an exhibition in Summerhall Edinburgh, to raise funds for, and awareness of the work of Diabetes UK.

The artists will each donate the proceeds of the sale of one of their works to Diabetes UK.

The initiative is in support of the breakthrough research that has been conducted by Glasgow Professor of Nutrition, Michael Lean and the Newcastle-based Professor Roy Taylor. The new research suggests that those who lose a radical amount of weight and manage to keep the weight off may well greatly improve their management of the disease and even put it into remission.

Sir Maxwell intends to set up a website and create an app that will help support people with Type-2 diabetes by providing dietary and lifestyle advice.  Speaking in Edinburgh, Sir Maxwell said, ‘Through following the regime prescribed, I have managed to put my diabetes into remission but the tough part is establishing a way of life that will perpetuate my weight loss and healthy habits. We are working to try and establish new ways of making healthy living more fun than unhealthy habits, and it’s not easy. Our hope is that by using online support systems we can offer people recipes, suggested exercise regimes and residential courses to make it easier.’

The works of art will be shown at Edinburgh’s Summerhall arts centre from 3-28 October

and will be co-ordinated with a number of other events organised by Diabetes UK.

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Contacts: Maxwell Macleod 07908870604

maxwellmacleod@yahoo.co.uk