AFTER becoming motivated to help make a difference by a young football fan, a man from Woodley will be taking on the London Landmarks Half Marathon later this month.

Steve Rendell was inspired by 10-year-old Harvey Brown, a fellow supporter of Steve's beloved football club, Millwall.

Harvey has Morquio Syndrome, which stunts skeletal growth and impairs vision and hearing.

After seeing Harvey lead out Millwall at Wembley in 2016, Steve vowed to help him and the MPS Society, which supports those affected by Morquio and other life-changing diseases.

Harvey is just one of 78 people in the UK with the rare disease, which means he won't grow above three feet tall and has a shortened life span.

Steve initially set a fundraising target of £2,000, but has already smashed this, with more than £5,000 raised so far.

He will join 13,000 other runners on Sunday, March 24, to tackle the 13.1 mile course, which weaves through the capital's most famous landmarks including Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Shard, the Tower of London and the London Eye, as well as some of the more quirky and hidden ones.

Steve said: "Harvey is always so chirpy and a really lovely lad.

"After seeing Harvey lead out Millwall that day and just seeing how brave he is has inspired me to tackle the London Landmarks Half Marathon.

"By taking on what is a big challenge for me, I want to raise awareness around this rare disease and also to help people like Harvey by raising money for the MPS Society to fund research and medical support."

Harvey's dad, Dean, said of Steve’s campaign: "What Steve is doing means a lot to us as a family.

"Harvey has such a rare disorder and the MPS Society is such a small charity that we need support like this to help Harvey and others like him.

"We have had huge support from Millwall Football Club and we must thank them hugely for helping Harvey, and without them Steve wouldn't have heard about Harvey.

"We can’t wait to go to central London to watch the half marathon and see Steve cross the finish line!"

On the day of the half marathon, Harvey will be made a VIP for the day and will be able to cheer Steve on from the start and finish lines.

Steve has already raised £5,117 through his JustGiving page, but wants to try and raise even more ahead of the big day.

To donate to visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Steve-Rendell1.