THE many good deeds performed by a young Pershore man before his death earlier this year will spur a couple on as they take part in the Great North Run.

Sarah and Colin Davies, from Malvern Wells, will be raising money for two charities selected by the parents of Nathan John, who died suddenly earlier this year aged just 21.

Mrs Davies' parents live next door to the John family and decided it would be a fitting tribute to let his parents, Jacqui and Steve, nominate which charities should benefit from Sunday's run.

Mr and Mrs John have chosen the British Heart Foundation and Touch 1,000 Lives, a charity which aims to stop the sale of children into slavery in India and the Philippines.

The charity, based in Barbourne, Worcester, named a boat in the Philippines after Nathan following his death.

Mrs Davies, a practice nurse, said the trainee Baptist minister was an amazing person who managed to do so much during his life.

"Nathan was just amazing - so lovely and just so likeable.

"He was generous and kind and managed to do lots of charity work, volunteered at Croome, he was in PODS, he crammed lots into his life.

"He was just a genuine, lovely person and it is the very least we could do for him."

Mrs Davies, aged 31, will be doing her 7th Great North Run on Sunday while her husband, aged 29, will clock up his 12th run when they cross the finish line in South Shields.

The couple have been training for 12 weeks for the 13.1 mile run which starts in Newcastle with a record 56,000 runners taking part last year.

Mrs Davies added: "This year's run has got a bit of extra significance.

"Every year it is important to us but this year we want to do a good job for Nathan."

Anyone wishing to donate should log on to www.justgiving.com/teams/runupnorth2014