A woman from Undy will be running the London Marathon to raise money for a charity supporting military children, including her nieces.

Beth Oakley, herself having a military background, will compete in the marathon on April 21 to collect funds for the Little Troopers, a devoted charity serving military children, amongst whom are her own nieces Lily, 8, and Mia, 5.

Beth's father was in the military and her brother serves as a submariner in the Royal Navy, providing her with a firsthand understanding of the military lifestyle from her childhood.

Frequently moving and coping with the absence of her father during overseas deployments, Beth experienced the challenges of a military family's life.

Her brother, like their father, joined the Royal Navy as a submariner, echoing the patterns of service and long absences from home.

Currently stationed in Scotland, he often spends half a year or more away due to military obligations – he even missed his daughter Lily's birth in 2015.

Little Troopers is a charity set up to provide support and programmes for military children all over the UK.

Ms Oakley said: "There was nothing like Little Troopers when I was growing up and I think it’s such a great thing to recognise military children and the difficult situations they sometimes go through.

"Having a parent sent away for months at a time is really hard when you are small, and so is moving house and school a lot.

"My sister-in-law does an amazing job looking after the girls but they have also found Little Troopers a real help too.

"My mum says she wishes Little Troopers had been around when me and my siblings were younger and she’s glad there is a dedicated charity out there to support her grand-daughters."

Ms Oakley, who does not have a running background or regular exercise routine, has faced this charity effort as a formidable challenge.

Despite a busy schedule with a full-time job and a six-year-old son, as well as coping with several injuries and four knee surgeries in the past few years, she remains undeterred in reaching the finish line. Anyone wishing to can donate at https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/london-marathon-2024-oakley

The founder of Little Troopers, Louise Fetigan, applauded Beth's forthcoming endeavour, said: "People who have grown-up in the forces community like Beth understand just how different life can be for military children.

"Little Troopers is a small charity with a big heart and the support of fundraisers like Beth make a huge difference to our mission."

Funds raised will contribute to sustaining Little Troopers’ numerous initiatives such as Little Trooper of the Month Award scheme, Little Troopers at School programme, and the annual Christmas Smiles initiative.