A WOMAN from Potters Bar has been named Community Mum of the Year by a national supermarket chain.

Di Godin, 45, has been recognised for working tirelessly to help others, despite battling cancer and looking after her disabled daughter.

The mother-of-two was frustrated by a lack of support when Shayna, 15, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

A former police Detective Sergeant, Di decided to help organise local meetings for families with children of special needs.

She said: “The meetings became more and more regular and we named it the Potters Bar Children with Special Needs or Disabilities Group.

“We started going out together as a group which was great. Alone, you can feel like everyone is staring at you, but as a group, you feel much more supported and can enjoy yourself more.”

Encouraged by the number of people attending, she decided to set up a playscheme to give the children something to do over the school holidays.

When the original scheme manager moved on, Di went to college to gain a childcare qualification so she could run the group.

Di said: “Setting up the playscheme was definitely a challenge, there was so much to learn. We had to become registered as a charity and get funding. But as the group grew, we got more and more support from local businesses and groups. Fundraising also took a lot of time, but I learnt so much from it.”

The determined mother has also had to support her eldest child, Waz, 16, who developed asthma as a child and became allergic to all medication he was given.

Di's positive attitude was also put to the test in April 2007 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

After a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, Di celebrated her recovery by running the London Marathon, helping to raise £7,500 for charity.

Even when the cancer returned in 2009, and she had to undergo more operations, Di kept her spirits high. She ran in Cancer Research's Race for Life just four days after surgery.

Di said: “What’s the point in feeling sorry for yourself? I’ve always believed in being positive – that way, it hopefully rubs off on everyone else. Life is for living, not for moping around.

“I have always told my children to look forward, not back, so I have to set a positive example. I’m nothing special - the real heroes are my kids. Nothing stops them, they make me feel humble.”

Di continues her work for the community with the Potters Bar children's group and a special needs football team in St Albans.

Named Tesco magazine Mum of the Year, Di will celebrate at a prestigious ceremony at The Waldorf Hilton Hotel, in London, on Sunday, February 27.