A DETERMINED nine-year-old has climbed a mountain to raise funds for a diabetes charity after he was diagnosed with the condition.

Charlie Blake, from Mudeford, was joined by a loyal team of mountaineers – his mum and dad and six-year-old brother – for the climb up Wales’ tallest peak, Snowdon. The Mudeford Junior School pupil planned the charity challenge shortly after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes last year. His mother, Katy, said the climb also marked the one year anniversary since Charlie was diagnosed with diabetes.

“It’s been a tough year of adjustment for Charlie as he’s incredibly sporty. He’s a football fanatic and plays it non-stop. Managing his diabetes has been made more difficult because of that, and he needs constant monitoring,” she said.

In 2014, at the beginning of the summer holidays, Charlie was taken to the doctor’s after showing signs of diabetes. “He’d lost weight, he was drinking a lot more and generally not feeling himself,” Katy explained.

“The doctor did a blood test and his blood sugar level was 24, so he had to go straight to hospital. That was the day he was diagnosed.”

From that day onwards, Charlie was set on fundraising for a diabetes charity and chose JDRF, an organisation that funds type 1 diabetes research. The family have raised £650 in sponsorship so far.

“We could just burst with pride for Charlie,” Katy said. “On the day we did the climb we were really lucky with the weather – it was crystal clear. We set off around 7.30am and took the Pyg Track up, which took around three hours.

“It was very challenging and a bit hairy in places with some very steep slopes. We’re lucky because the kids are so sporty. My son Jake was amazing, he led the way. We had to tell him to slow down several times.

“The summit was just fantastic,” she continued, “I definitely felt a bit emotional when we reached it. We’ve never done anything like this before. We walked a different route back down, which was beautiful. We walked 7.5 miles in total.

“It took us a few days to recover - even going up the stairs at home felt like a challenge afterwards,” she joked.

Following the success of their first challenge, Charlie is eager to plan another fundraiser for next year. “I think he’ll do something yearly now on this anniversary. Whatever he chooses to do, we’re behind him,” Katy added.