A 21-YEAR-OLD from Yatton Keynell hopes her marathon run in Birmingham this weekend will help her give something back to three charities which she has a personal connection to.

Ellie Read, who is currently working as a new product development intern at Marshfield Bakery, has already raised more than £2,000 for the National Eczema Society, Wiltshire Air Ambulance and Julia's House ahead of her Birmingham International Marathon debut on Sunday.

"I wanted to take up a challenge and this was the perfect opportunity," Miss Read said. "I signed up to the the marathon with my boyfriend John Pullin and Kirsty Stanley last November, so it has almost been a year.

"When I was younger I had really bad eczema all over my body and the National Eczema Society were fantastic with me. They rang to check up on how I was doing, they sent over nurses and I actually helped write a few articles for their magazine.

"Although I haven't had much contact with them in recent years, I wanted to give something back because they were there for me."

The 21-year-old also chose the Wiltshire Air Ambulance after they saved friends and Julia's House in Devizes after schoolfriends were stuck in hospices far away from home due to the lack of provisions in the county.

"When I visited Julia's House, I was completely taken aback," she said. "Although children go there in very sad situations, Julia's House has been made into such a happy and positive place where they can do the things they want.

"I had friends in secondary school who were so far away from home and to have a hospice in Devizes means so much."

Miss Read, who raised £800 with a coffee morning alone last week, is counting down the hours to the marathon on Sunday. She added: "I have only run 21 miles so far but it is going well and I hope on the day, that the adrenaline will help carry me through the final five miles.

"At the moment I got butterflies and although I'm apprehensive, I'm very excited."

To donate visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ellie-read.