Diabetes UK and Diabetes Jersey
Since being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 15, Jonny has since worked closely with Diabetes Jersey and Diabetes UK becoming an ambassador for Diabetes UK and Patron of Diabetes Jersey. both the charities. His mother Collette Labey has raised over £40,000 for Diabetes Jersey and continues her support annually doing various events with Jonny to help fund both the research and the supplies that the charity pays for as it invests in coping with the condition. For Diabetes UK, Jonny has supported their campaigns on consecutive Diabetes Weeks since 2015, on stamping myths out around diabetes, nationwide access to flash glucose monitoring and Safe In School, which called for all pupils with Type 1 diabetes to be guaranteed the support they need.
Jonny worked closely with the BBC to incorporate a realistic storyline of diabetes into Eastenders as his character was also Type 1 Diabetic. Jonny hopes to work with people who are in the juvenile stages of being diagnosed and has published articles in books such as Diabetes UK’s award-winning ‘100 things I wish I’d known about living with diabetes’ alongside Phillip Schofield and The Hairy Bikers’ Si King as well as doing interviews about living with the condition in Balance Magazine. He aims to overcome the stigma that the condition can limit what you can achieve and help spread the word of how to deal with the condition.
Jonny also works at various LGBTQ events helping to stamp out HATE CRIME and homophobic abuse. Having been at the centre of one of the biggest Homophobic attack storylines ever to be shown on national television since joining the cast he’s worked with charities such as Stonewall, hosting London Pride, GayTimes and Attitude magazine.