A Watford fitness instructor is marking 20 years of fundraising by taking on a series of mammoth challenges to raise cash for the UK’s leading children’s charity.

Stephen Burn, who runs Fitness Squad Watford, will be running five long-distance races over the summer in military boots while carrying a 20kg Bergen rucksack.

The 36-year-old has been raising money for the NSPCC since he was 16 after growing up in the care system and receiving help from the charity.

His first challenge is the Brighton Marathon on Sunday April 9 before he takes on the 108km Isle of Wight Challenge on April 29.

Stephen will also take part in the 10 km London to Brighton Challenge on May 27 and the Cotswold Way 100 km race in June before finishing off in September with the Man vs Mountain marathon that takes on Mount Snowdon.

He is hoping to raise at least £2,500 after raising more than £3,500 by running seven races last year.

Stephen said: “More and more people are raising money so you have to do something a bit more challenging to catch people’s eye, which is why I’m carrying the weight and running in military boots.

“I can’t wait - it will be really, really tough but the NSPCC is a fantastic charity, and helped me personally in my life. I want to turn the negative experience of my childhood into something positive and help keep children safe.

“I want to help raise awareness and really challenge myself at the same time. I don’t want young people to go through what I did alone so people should know that the NSPCC and Childline are there to offer the support that I would have been so grateful for as a child.”

Jacqui Venters, NSPCC community fundraising manager for Hertfordshire, added: “Stephen’s determination to complete these challenges is really quite inspiring and will raise vital funds for the charity’s work along the way. I wish him the best of luck. 

“More than 80 per cent of our income comes from individual fundraising and giving, so I must thank him for helping us carry out our substantial work of helping children every day.

“All our individual fundraisers make a huge difference to children’s lives.”

To find out more about Stephen’s challenge and to sponsor him visit www.justgiving.com/teams/StephensFantasticFive.