Health advocate awarded honorary doctorate from Warwick University

LONDON:

Health advocate Anthony ‘Tony’ Kelly has been awarded an honorary doctor of science degree from Warwick University for his years of voluntary work in raising awareness of diabetes and prostate cancer, two of the leading diseases that affect the black community.

The honorary doctorate was conferred on Kelly last month at the winter graduation ceremony at the university campus in Coventry.

Praised highly for his voluntary work with institutions like the Warwick Medical School, Kelly was recognised for his expertise, knowledge of equality, diversity, and inclusion within the West Midlands region by healthcare professionals, healthcare researchers, policymakers, and the African-Caribbean diaspora communities.

Since taking early retirement from the probation service, Kelly has worked voluntarily, primarily addressing the African-Caribbean communities, who are particularly prone to develop type 2 diabetes.

Diagnosed with the condition himself, he has filled a void as a patient expert, explaining how to access information while promoting healthy eating, physical exercise, and lifestyle changes to prevent, manage, and control the condition.

Kelly has undertaken a remarkable schedule of community engagements in the UK, averaging over 140 sessions per year, as well as in the Caribbean and Canada. He has run free workshops, made videos, given TV and radio interviews, and participated in research projects.

From 2012 until 2020, he was a Diabetes UK Community Champion, and since 2020, he has been the Diabetes Strategic Patient Partner in the National Diabetes Prevention Programme, enabling him to influence local healthcare strategy in the West Midlands.

Professor Gavin Perkins, MBE, dean of medicine at Warwick Medical School, said: “We are delighted to recognise Anthony Kelly with an honorary doctor of science at our winter graduation. He has done so much to raise awareness of type 2 diabetes – its prevention and management, in particular - around the African Caribbean communities.

“Warwick Medical School has benefitted greatly from his hard work, enthusiasm, and empathetic approach and, of course, his own life experience, successfully living with type 2 diabetes for around 20 years, which has helped to inform the approach of healthcare professionals, healthcare researchers ,and policymakers.

“He has contributed to our teaching, bringing the patient-public perspective to our students. He is a patient public mentor on an ongoing project with the African-Caribbean diaspora communities to make health and care research more inclusive.”

CORNERSTONE OF COMMUNITY HEALTH

London-born Kelly was raised in Jamaica and returned to England in 1979. After graduating from Mico Teachers College as batch president in 1976, he taught English and religious education in Kingston high schools before he returned with his family to Birmingham.

Back in England, Kelly worked in local and central government for 30 years before early retirement as a middle manager of equity, equality, diversity, and inclusion. Among his many qualifications is a socio-legal studies master’s degree from the University of Birmingham.

For nearly eight years from June 2012, Kelly was a Diabetes UK Community Champion, devoting his time raising awareness in communities in Britain and further afield about health and well-being in relation to diabetes, in his case, a hereditary medical condition.

He is proud to have controlled his type 2 diabetes with physical activity and diet since diagnosis 19 years ago and has never taken medication, thus proving it can be done with the right mindset, discipline, and motivation.

Kelly is in demand for radio, television, and webinar interviews about type 2 diabetes and runs free workshops. He is featured in healthy lifestyle videos, with some on the Internet, emphasising his positive approach in managing and controlling his diabetes.

Not just an advocate, Tony Kelly is also a prolific writer contributing to various health publications and literature ranging from children’s books to biographies. His work has not gone unnoticed. He was honoured with the British Citizen Award for health, presented in the Houses of Parliament. In 2024, he was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the King’s birthday’s honours list for raising awareness of diabetes in the UK and abroad.

Further solidifying his commitment, Kelly recently self-funded trips to Jamaica and Barbados to conduct free diabetes awareness sessions. He has also appeared in several prostate cancer awareness videos aimed at engaging with men who often struggle to discuss their medical issues and conditions.

Commenting on the honour, he said: “I am passionate about health and well-being in all communities and been doing this voluntary work for over 12 years. It was a really pleasant surprise on discovering that Eleanor Hoverd, a doctoral research fellow at Warwick University, who I mentor, put my body of work forward, which was accepted by the award panel to offer me an honorary Doctor of Science degree.

“I am elated to receive this recognition, and the wonderful graduation ceremony with my family present will remain embedded in my memory for a long time.”