A St Albans mother and her teenage son who raised more than £14,000 for Diabetes UK have won three volunteering awards from the charity Diabetes UK.

Tina Foley, 46, won the Fundraising Award at the charity’s regional Inspire Awards, held at the Cambridge Belfry Hotel on Saturday March 28.

Her 14-year-old son Shaun won both the Young People’s Outstanding Contribution award and the Individual Volunteer of the Year Award.

The family from Marshalwick started their mammoth fundraising and awareness-raising efforts after Shaun was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2013.

Shaun helped to design a logo for his diabetes ID tag so if anything happened, people would know he has Type 1 diabetes.

The logo he designed was based on the numbers two and two as he was diagnosed on February 2.

The Foleys decided to use the logo on T-shirts to help raise money but that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Friends and family, including Shaun’s 68-year-old Grandmother Janet King, his Mum and Dad John, godmother and uncle, were sponsored to have the design tattooed on them.

Other family members had various parts of their body waxed to raise funds. In September last year a charity gala night was held where Tina also managed to persuade the Mayor of St Albans to have his chest waxed.

In total, Tina and Shaun raised £14,742 and were personally thanked by Diabetes UK Chief Executive Barbara Young when they handed over the cheque in October.

Mrs Foley said: "When Shaun was diagnosed none of us could take it in. As a mother you do everything to protect your children but I just felt helpless and it broke my heart.

"When Shaun took his diagnosis in his stride and carried on as he does with everything with a smile, I knew we could carry on. The idea was to help him raise awareness and a bit of money with the logo and t-shirts but the fundraising just spiraled.

"I can’t believe the amount we have raised and just want to thank everyone who has been involved. Ultimately our aim is to fund research into the condition and find a cure for people like Shaun."

Shaun said: "I do wish I was like other teenagers and not have to worry about everything I eat and everything I do but I want to live my life to the full and by showing that nothing is going to stop me, I hope will prove Type 1 diabetes doesn’t have to be a barrier.

"I couldn’t have got here though or done any of this without my family and especially my Mum who I know is always with me and supports everything I do.

"Getting these awards is amazing and I couldn’t be happier – well only if our money helped find a cure for Type 1 diabetes, of course!"

Diabetes UK has over 500 registered volunteers in the East of England region, many of which also belong to the region’s 22 local support groups.