WELLAND'S Dave Wise has been heavily involved in football since his schooldays but has swopped his boots for training shoes to run for charity in next month's London Flora Marathon.

Dave, aged 63, trained as a football referee early in his days and progressed through the ranks to become a Football League linesman. Wanting to put something back into the sport he loves, since his retirement from active refereeing he became qualified as a referee instructor and has run courses throughout the county.

He is also president of the Malvern Referees Society, vice chairman of The Soccer Site Malvern Football League and secretary of the Worcestershire Referees Association.

Working as a driving examiner in Worcester, Dave has still found time to clock up the needed 30-40 miles a week to prepare for the marathon and says his training is going well.

Dave said: "I am hoping to raise £1,500 for charity and I am starting to get near to that figure. I am aiming at a time of five hours and would be happy with anything under that on April 18."

Dave is running for Get Kids Going, a charity which provides mobility equipment for disabled children to help give them an independent life of their own and an interest and participation in sport. This is the only charity of its kind in Britain. There are over 200,000 disabled youngsters in Britain who need the support of this charity. A further 20,000 require sports wheelchairs to compete in summer and winter sports. The president of the charity is Lord (Seb) Coe OBE and the vice presidents are Tanni Grey-Thompson OBE and Emma Howard.

If you would like to sponsor Dave's marathon effort he can be contacted on (01684) 310561.