New recruit joins diabetes chairty Diabetes charity gets new recruit A cartoonist has created a character to help raise funds for a diabetes charity.

Rosalie Cox decided to use her pen to help the Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation because she lost many of her own family to the disease.

The character, named Pip, is a young healthy boy, and will be launched soon with the charity's slogan: "Staying well until a cure is found."

Mrs Cox, a professional cartoonist for 55 years, uses the pen name Skribble.

She is now 71 and lives at Fettiplace, Milton-under-Wychwood.

"I am particularly keen to join forces with a diabetes charity, as my own mother and all my uncles and aunts died from diabetes," she said. "Pip is a happy, apple-faced boy, who will appear on cards, teacloths, badges and other products."

About 1.4 million people in the UK are diagnosed with diabetes. The new campaign is to raise funds for research and stress the benefits of a healthy diet and exercise.

Although retired from her professional career, Mrs Cox is still in demand for her cartoons.

Recently she helped raise funds at Milton-under-Wychwood village fete with a stall for lightning sketches. She has also set up a painting class for elderly people at Langston House, the village's old folks' home.