THE daughter of a former Oxenhope community stalwart is to run a fundraising marathon in memory of her father this spring.

Helen Gilbert will raise money for the charity Myeloma UK, which helps people with the same illness responsible for the death of her father, John Kitchen.

Mr Kitchen, who was 66 when he died in 2015, had been a founding member of The Oxenhope Old Burial Grounds Trust.

He was a key figure in gaining funding for Oxenhope Community Centre, was active in forming Oxenhope Village Society, and also played a central role in the development of the Oxenhope Village Design Statement.

Mrs Gilbert, 36, plans to run the marathon across the Yorkshire Pennines on May 28. She now lives in Kent but will start and finish the run at her parents' home in Oxenhope.

Her circular route will take her towards Penistone Hill, the Widdop and Gorple Reservoirs, then towards Ogden Water. She has been training hard since just after Christmas last year.

Mrs Gilbert explained: "In February 2015 my father sadly passed away after a short and brutal battle against Myeloma.

"Myeloma, also known as multiple myeloma, is a cancer arising from plasma cells, a type of white blood cell made in the bone marrow.

"The sadness and grief that dad is no longer with us has weighed heavily over the past two years on our close family.

"Losing a parent feels like the solid foundations beneath your feet shift and crumble – the safety net you thought would always be there is gone.

"Running is my therapy, something that allows me to shake off how difficult life can be, clear my head and fill my lungs with fresh air.

"Dad was very proud of my running achievements, however minor, and I wanted to do something in his memory that would challenge me, mean something to him, and raise money for Myeloma UK to help others like him.

"I wanted the challenge to be relevant to him, so I'm creating my own personal challenge – the ‘Daddy Long Legs’ Marathon.

"As dad was Yorkshire born and bred and six foot six inches tall, he was my daddy long legs!

"My run will be a self-navigated off-road marathon across the Yorkshire Pennines."

Mrs Gilbert, who works as a graphic designer, has set up an online fundraising page where people can support her through her training, sponsor her efforts, and even attend on the day of the run.

The page is accessible by going to the main virginmoneygiving.com page, typing the name Helen Gilbert into the "Find a friend" donation box, then clicking on the "Daddy Long Legs" icon.

Mr Kitchen, who died on February 4 2015, was from a family that had lived in the Oxenhope area since the 15th century.

He had a smallholding in the village, but built his career in local housing. While working full time for Bradford Council he studied and qualified as a quantity surveyor.

He later moved to B&N Housing, providing affordable rented housing.