Supermum

As well as being a mother to nine children, Donna finds time to be a Badger leader for St John Ambulance, a student at Blackpool and the Fylde College, while helping to raise funds for local charities and even delivering the Citizen!

So is there anything she doesn't do?

"Sleep!" she laughed.

The 40-year-old, of Homefield Road, St Annes, was chosen by Blackpool Football Club to receive a bunch of flowers during Saturday's game. Bosses had been asked by Kathleen's Florists to nominate a deserving recipient and they thought Donna fitted the bill.

She said: "I was totally gobsmacked when I found out about the award. When the club rang me up, all I could say was 'Wow'."

Donna is mother to Annabelle, 15, Stacie, 13, Stephanie, 12, Grant, 11, Bernadette, 9, Ryan, 8, Niall, 7, Siobahn, 3 and two-year-old Axel, who is named after Guns 'N' Roses singer Axel Rose.

Donna explained: "When I was pregnant with Axel, I was listening mainly to Clannad and it slowed the baby's heartbeat.

"So my husband put on some Guns 'N' Roses and it speeded the heartbeat up!"

All those children create a lot of housework. In the 17 years Donna has been married to husband Anthony, the family have been through no less than 14 washing machines.

Life is rarely dull in the Cartmell household, with the children displaying their star quality to raise money for charity.

The youngsters have taken part in a series of musicals and variety shows in aid of good causes. The latest was at the Blackpool Vic last weekend, raising money for the town's Woodlands School.

Donna said: "We've been nicknamed the Von Trapps of the Fylde Coast."

The family are also involved with their local Methodist Church, having helped to raise money to bring in a lay preacher.

In addition to this, Donna is currently studying psychology, human physiology and sign language at Blackpool and the Fylde College's St Annes campus.

So how does she cope?

"I think it's important to be happy with your kids and to enjoy them. Life is too short to just farm them out to babysitters all the time."

But though Donna is happy with her nine children, she confessed that she does not plan to have any more.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.