A PASTRY chef from Malmesbury is trading in his rolling pins for his running shoes to get in training for the Great North Run next month, which he will be running in memory of his partner’s grandfather.

Kris Biggs, 27, is taking part in the 13 mile Newcastle challenge to raise money for the Malmesbury League of Friends (MLOF) who supported Stuart Lovett during the last few months of his life.

“My girlfriend had a close connection to Stuart, he treated her like his own daughter,” said Kris.

“She used to speak so highly of him; he helped the whole family and was a really key figure.”

MLOF provides funds to help local people with specific medical needs, which are not available from other sources, and Kris is proud to be supporting them.

“It’s a really good cause to run for,” he said.

“They made Stuart feel comfortable during his last days.

“Stuart’s widow Maureen has fond memories of the old hospital where her three children were born and from the support her late husband received from MLOF.

“So she actively encouraged me to name it as the nominated charity from my efforts in the Great North Run on September 1.”

Kris has been training daily for the run between his busy shifts as a pastry chef at Whatley Manor Hotel in the Cotswolds.

“The training is going well,” he said. “However, it is quite hard to find the time to do the training as I work in the hospitality industry.

“I work between 14 and 16 hour days and use my two hour break to train for the Great North Run.

“For the past two weeks now, I've been doing between 10 and 13 mile runs on my days off to prepare”

Robin Clark, chair of MLOF, said: “We are extremely pleased that Kris has chosen us as the beneficiary of his efforts.

“The majority of our funds come from legacies, so it is most encouraging to receive support in this way from someone whose family has had such close associations with the old Malmesbury hospital.”

If you would like to make a pledge and support Kris contact krisbiggs@hotmail.com and quote 'Great North Run'.