FOR an ex-army man running a marathon doesn't present a huge challenge - but fitting in training, raising £2,000 for charity and organising his wedding at the same time is more daunting.

Luckily Matt Little's fiancee Lucy Constable is running the London Marathon with him and has agreed to help him fund raise for Whizz Kidz - and of course plan their September wedding.

Matt, 24, left his regiment - the now disbanded the 39th Regiment Royal Artillery - and moved to Bridport two years ago to pursue a career as a chef at The Bull Hotel.

He met Lucy, who works at Bridport Leisure Centre, and left The Bull to work with her parents at West Bay's Snack Shack.

They both ran the Bournemouth half marathon in October last year and applied 'on a whim' to run the London Marathon.

After a tour of Afghanistan his first choice of charity was Combat Stress but its places were full but with a disabled cousin the charity Whizz Kidz that was a natural second choice.

He said: "My cousin Harriet Little, who has just turned 18, does a hell of a lot for them and finding about a bit more about what they do and with my cousin being an ambassador for them it is obviously a charity close to my heart.

"She knows first hand the help they can give you - they supply everything - it's a brilliant charity.

"They are working hard to transform the lives of disabled children across the UK, supporting them to become confident and independent young adults. They provide disabled children and young people with vital mobility equipment."

Although Matt's not worried about the running - he did the half marathon with no training and just a quick stretch on the morning - he says raising £2,000 is going to be a tall order.

His first event will be putting his skills to work and he and Lucy are holding a cake sale at The Snack Shack in West Bay on Sunday February 19 and any help or cake donations for the day would be appreciated, he said.

He added: "I do have got an extension on my fundraising until August because they felt sorry for me having to organise my wedding too.

"I am also doing the Colmers Hill 10k in July which I am also raising money for and I am in the Territorial Army so my life is very busy.

"We train as much as we can together but I run much faster than her. We do go to transition running coach Joe Allen on a Monday.

"I used to just run but Joe actually taught me and Lucy how to run properly and a bit more efficiently.

"I just thought you put one foot in front of the other and carried on - but there is apparently more to it!"