A CLITHEROE nurse is set to attempt her first marathon in almost seven years in April to fulfil a long-term ambition.

Mum-of-three Trish Wardle is aiming to complete the London Marathon for Lancashire-based Galloway’s Charity for the Blind after promising herself that she would never attempt a marathon again.

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The 49-year-old is set to smash her fundraising target of £1,650 having already collected £1,400 for the charity.

Supported by her husband Stuart, 50, and her children, Jack, 23, Milly, 21 and Alfie, 19, Trish will don her trainers after already completing the 26-mile distance in the Robin Hood Marathon in Nottingham and Loch Ness in Scotland.

She also finished races in Prague, Norfolk and Blackpool in the same year eight years ago.

Having unsuccessfully applied to several larger charities over the last few years to take part in the marathon, the staff nurse in the Treatment Room at Clitheroe Health Centre was finally acceptted to represent the charity which has a base in Chorley.

Established in 1867, it provides a range of services to more than 7,000 blind and partially-sighted people across Lancashire and Sefton and needs to raise £850,000 a year to keep operating.

The former Ribblesdale High School student now lives in Chatburn Road with her family.

She said: “I forgot how hard the training was after coming back to it after so long.

“I run on a regular basis anyway and have stepped up from doing 10 miles a week to 25 miles.

“I said after my last race that I would never do one again but this opportunity came up and it was too good to pass up on.

“I’m nervous about it and that will only get worse the closer it gets to the day itself but my training is going really well.

“The Clitheroe Roundtable group has given me £250 and the Clitheroe Rotary Club has also donated £75 which is great.

“I also got £400 from a collection at Booths recently which was a great boost.

“The charity that I chose is not a large one and I wanted to raise the profile of a smaller one that still does fantastic work for people in Lancashire.”

Chief nurse, Christine Pearson, from East Lancashire NHS Trust, said: “Good luck to Trish when she takes on such a fantastic challenge for charity.

“She is a true champion and a great example of hospital staff who every day go the extra mile for our patients.”

Donate at www.virginmoneygiving.com/PatriciaWardle.