Practical programmes. Real venues. Real people.
At the heart of everything Vibrant Health Advocates – Lyra does is the belief that practical skill-building, done in community, changes lives in ways that information alone cannot. In a typical week, our facilitators might be running a Cook Well, Live Well session in a community centre in Kildrum, facilitating a Peer Support Circle in Abronhill, or visiting a secondary school in Condorrat for a cooking demonstration.
The work is deliberately varied
At the heart of everything Vibrant Health Advocates – Lyra does is the belief that practical skill-building, done in community, changes lives in ways that information alone cannot. In a typical week, our facilitators might be running a Cook Well, Live Well session in the kitchen of a local community centre in Kildrum, facilitating a Peer Support Circle for newly diagnosed adults in Abronhill, or visiting a secondary school in Condorrat to deliver a cooking demonstration with a class of third-year pupils.
The work is deliberately varied because diabetes does not show up the same way in every person's life. A shift worker managing blood sugar around twelve-hour nights needs different support to a retired person with a well-equipped kitchen and a flexible day. A newly diagnosed person needs different things to someone who has been managing for twenty years. We design our programmes to meet people where they are — not where a textbook assumes they should be.
Four ways we show up for Cumbernauld
Cook Well, Live Well
Our flagship six-session cooking course for adults newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes or those who want to reset their approach to food.
Held over six weekly sessions in community kitchens across Cumbernauld, Cook Well, Live Well takes participants from basic blood sugar principles to confident, enjoyable cooking. Each session focuses on a different theme — breakfasts, batch cooking, eating out, feeding a family on a budget — and every participant leaves with a printed recipe pack they can actually use at home. The course is free to attend and referrals are welcomed from GP practices and diabetes nurses across NHS Forth Valley.
Everyday Habits Programme
A broader lifestyle programme covering movement, sleep, stress management, and emotional wellbeing for people managing any type of diabetes.
Everyday Habits runs as a monthly drop-in series, meaning participants can join at any point and attend as often or as infrequently as their lives allow. Sessions are facilitated by trained volunteers with lived experience of long-term conditions, and topics are shaped by what participants say they actually need. Recent sessions have covered managing blood sugar through shift work, walking routes in and around Cumbernauld that are accessible for people with mobility difficulties, and practical strategies for eating well during periods of stress.
Peer Support Circles
Small, facilitated peer support groups where people living with diabetes meet regularly to share experiences, problem-solve together, and reduce isolation.
Our Peer Support Circles meet fortnightly in relaxed community settings — a local café, a church hall, a community library meeting room. Groups are kept small (six to ten people) so that genuine connection is possible. Facilitators are trained in active listening and group work but are not clinical professionals; the value of these groups lies in the shared experience of living with diabetes day to day, not in receiving advice. Separate circles exist for people with Type 1 diabetes, younger adults, and those who are newly diagnosed.
Schools & Families Project
Practical food education for young people and their families in Cumbernauld, with a particular focus on households affected by Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
Working with local secondary schools and family learning programmes, our Schools & Families Project brings cooking skills and diabetes awareness into the lives of young people who may be growing up alongside a parent or sibling with the condition, or who are themselves at risk. Sessions are interactive, non-preachy, and grounded in food young people actually want to eat. We work with school canteen staff as well as pupils, recognising that the food environment of the school day matters as much as what happens at home.
Referring patients to our programmes
We welcome referrals from GP practices, diabetes nurses, and other health professionals across NHS Forth Valley. Our programmes are designed to complement clinical care — we do not provide medical advice, but we do provide the practical skills and peer support that help patients act on the advice they receive.
To refer a patient, simply get in touch using our contact form or email us directly. We will follow up with the participant within five working days and take it from there. No paperwork required from your end.
Make a referralWho we support
Adults living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, people at risk of Type 2 diabetes, family members and carers supporting someone with the condition, and young people in households affected by diabetes.
No eligibility criteria
Our programmes are open to all Cumbernauld and North Lanarkshire residents. We do not require a formal referral — self-referral is welcome — but we are delighted to receive referrals from professionals.
Take the first step — we are here to help
Whether you want to join a programme, refer someone, or find out what we currently have running near you — get in touch and we will help you find the right next step.
Get in touch