Tom Prestwich from Tenby is going the extra mile for children's charity the NSPCC by running the Cardiff Half Marathon next Sunday (October 6).

The energetic 17-year-old is aiming to raise as much cash as possible in sponsorship.

Tom said: "I really fancied doing the challenge and thought I may as well raise money for a good cause at the same time. I chose the NSPCC because I wanted to help other young people who might not have had as good an upbringing as me and I'm really looking forward to it."

His proud mum Sarah is on the NSPCC local committee in Tenby. She said he has never done anything like this before, but has been training really hard in preparation.

Every penny raised by Tom and others will go towards maintaining the organisation's vital services for vulnerable children and their families. Last year alone, the NSPCC received more than 1.4 million contacts from children and young people who needed help.

The charity's service centres, both within Wales and across the UK, offer help and therapeutic treatment, and its ground-breaking ChildLine Schools Service visits primary schools across the country to help younger children understand abuse, how to protect themselves and where to get help if they need it.

Julie Richards, NSPCC community fundraising manager for Wales, said: "We're really grateful to Tom for going the extra mile for the NSPCC. We rely on the generosity of the public for 90 per cent of our funds and without kind-hearted people like Tom, we wouldn't be able to survive. At the NSPCC, we aim to make a difference to the lives of vulnerable children and their families across the UK, but we simply can't do that without the help of our dedicated fundraising volunteers."

Anyone wanting to sponsor Tom can find sponsorship forms at the local Londis store in Trafalgar Road, Tenby.