FORMER Welsh Guard Newport businessman Steve Marshall isn't letting Covid-19 lockdown get in the way of his charity fund raising efforts this year.

The 58-year-old charity fundraiser and father-of-three is running the equivalent of seven marathons this month completing 10km runs every day to raise money for St David's Hospice care.

The managing director of Newport-based business Safety First Lifting Gear Svs, of Queensway Meadows, who is running 300km in the month, is no stranger to going extra mile for charity.

Mr Marshall, who lives with his wife Ann-Marie in Newport and is father to Thomas, Grace and Billy, is supporting the hospice for personal reasons.

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He said: "Every year I choose a charity to raise money for, this year I’ve chosen St David’s Hospice Care as it is a local charity which looked after and cared for my father. I also wanted to support other friends and their family members who have had need of the hospice’s palliative care."

Mr Marshall, a member of two freemason lodges in the Province of Monmouthshire, Jasper Tudor 4074 & Armed Forces Lodge 9875, is being supported by fellow masons.

He said: "Members of both lodges are always first to support me by generously donating to the challenges and charitable endeavours I’ve been involved with, to help raise vital monies for local and national charities.

"As a former serving military man, serving with the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards during the 80s, fitness played a big role to enable me to carry out my duties. On returning to civilian life I have continued to enjoy keeping a good level of fitness.

"To this end over the past 35 years I have taken part in many charitable challenges and it's normally about this time of year every year that I like to commit to a challenge to raise money for a particular charity. These challenges usually consist of climbing a group of mountains in the UK/Europe or running a marathon.

"This year, unfortunately due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, I’ve had to rethink a challenge that I can achieve. So, keeping in line with government guidelines I am running 10km every day, which I began on May 3 and will be ending June 3. This is a total of 300km, which equates to seven-plus full marathons over this period."

Mr Marshall has previously completed the National Three Peaks challenge, the Welsh three peaks challenge, the Alta Via climb in the Dolomites Italy, the Chemin de la Liberté climb French Pyrenees down into Northern Spain, the London Marathon, the Newport Marathon, the Cardiff Half Marathon and a 40-mile ultra marathon from Cardiff to Chepstow which he completed for the Welsh Guards charity.

Emma Saysell, chief executive of Newport-based St David's Hospice Care, said: "We're ever so grateful to Steve and the effort he is putting in to raise money for the hospice at this very challenging and difficult time. We're also thrilled to see that Steve is wearing his hospice running vest with pride as he completes his mammoth fund-raising effort."

The Newport-based hospice, which has to fund 70 per cent of its clinical services through its events, now cancelled, and its shops, all closed, is faced with a massive spike in Covid-19 pandemic referrals.

In normal times St David's Hospice Care, which is celebrating 40 years since being established in Newport in 1979, cares for 1,200 patients a day, generates £2.5m a year from events and its shops in excess of £1m.

To support his fundraising, contact Steve for further details at steve.marshall@saeftyfirstlifting.com