A Barnet nurse is getting ready to pull on her running shoes for this year’s London Marathon.

Vicky Marshall, 27, a staff nurse at Barnet Hospital, will use the 26-mile race to raise money for the Play Barn project, a charity aiming to build a safe barn for children with cancer to play in.

The charity was founded by sports trainer Gary Johnson, whose daughter Madison was treated for leukaemia at Barnet Hospital aged two and who needed a safe, sterile environment to play in with other children while recovering from the disease.

Ms Marshall said: “I first became aware of this cause through my friends who started this charity for their daughter, who, like thousands of children across the UK, was suffering from leukaemia,”

“The work they do is excellent and I’m very excited about the chance to help them by taking part in one of the best annual events in the London calendar.”

Ms Marshall, who has already raised nearly £700, says her training for the race on April 21 is going well.

“I am running between 30 and 40 miles a week. I sometimes even do a full-on 20 mile run. I also have a four-year-old daughter who keeps me on my toes when I'm not at work.”

To sponsor Ms Marshall, visit her JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/vicky-marshall1