A Sue Ryder nurse from Peterborough is set to tackle two half marathons in two months for charity.

David Stevenette hopes his runs will raise critical funds for families requiring palliative care and bereavement support.

Mr Stevenette, 27, will partake in the Great North Run on September 8 and the Great Eastern Run in Peterborough on October 13.

He said: “I’ve always enjoyed sport and keeping fit.

"I played tennis previously for Cambridgeshire, but it was during my time at university that I took up running."

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By running, he aspires to secure the financial future of the charity he works for.

His engagement with Sue Ryder began earlier this year, after having previously served in the bereavement department at Peterborough Hospital.

He said: “I’m a caring person and after university I took up a summer job working in the bereavement department at the hospital and then in the mortuary, before deciding to return to Sheffield to study adult nursing,”

Growing up in Longthorpe, close to the Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, Mr Stevenette has been familiar with the charity since his childhood.

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The long-distance races will be a new challenge for Mr Stevenette.

He said: "I am young and I can do a short run pretty quickly, but I haven’t done a half marathon before.

"It can be tricky fitting the training in around my shifts too."

Despite the potential struggles, he feels confident that his effort will benefit the charity.

Mr Stevenette stressed the impact of fundraising efforts: “The charity only gets around one-third of funding from the Government and for the rest we rely heavily on donations from fundraisers like this - so any amount I can raise will be greatly appreciated. I know first-hand what a difference it makes.”